WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Trust Fund: Wansbeck

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in Wansbeck constituency are eligible to receive a £250 voucher to open a child trust fund account; and how many such accounts have been opened by parents or guardians in the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	Constituency level data, including parental account opening figures, on Child Trust Fund accounts was published on 6 November 2008 and can be viewed on the HM Revenue and Customs' website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/cons-stats-oct08.pdf.

Departmental Official Visits

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times he has visited  (a) the United States,  (b) Strasbourg,  (c) the Hague and  (d) Brussels on official business in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: Of the countries mentioned, the Secretary of State has only visited the United States on official business. He went once in March to meet a range of welfare service providers and experts.

Departmental Recruitment

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many director level posts have been advertised  (a) internally and  (b) externally in the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Records of internally and externally advertised director level posts are available and are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  As at April each year  External posts  Internal posts  Total 
			 2005-06 8 6 14 
			 2006-07 10 5 15 
			 2007-08 5 2 7 
			 2008 to date 1 15 16 
			  Note: The director positions counted for the purpose of this PQ response are SCS pay band 2 and SCS pay band 3 only.

Electronic Government

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to introduce more financial transactional services on the Direct.gov website.

Jonathan R Shaw: Under the Service Transformation Agreement, 95 per cent. of citizen facing services are to converge on to Directgov by 2011 and the remainder shortly thereafter. Directgov has a transactions strategy that describes different methods of integrating transactions and, depending on the transaction, the appropriate method will be applied.
	A list of financial transactions due to converge on to Directgov and the planned date is as follows:
	Money claim online: March 2009
	Retirement Age calculator: September 2009
	e-BOC (better off calculator): March 2010
	About my benefits (My DWP): September 2009
	Get a State Pension Forecast (pension estimator): September 2009
	Pension credit calculator: September 2009
	Tax Return—Self Assessment online: September 2009
	Offshore voluntary disclosure: March 2010
	SA payment online: March 2010
	Company car and fuel benefit calculator: March 2010
	National Insurance calculator: March 2010
	National Insurance Calculator—Director: March 2010
	PA YE tax calculator: March 2010
	R85 checker: March 2010
	Student tax checker: March 2010
	Child Benefit Application: March 2010
	Inheritance Tax calculator: March 2010
	Taxable value of guaranteed annuity calculator: March 2010
	Pay adjustments: March 2010
	Lloyds calculator: March 2010
	Warm front grant (Registration/application): March 2011
	Child Benefit online service—HMRC website: March 2010

Electronic Government

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he last reviewed the effectiveness of the CRM system for Direct.gov.

Jonathan R Shaw: The effectiveness of Directgov's CRM system was reviewed during the first quarter of this year as part of a capability model review. A further review is planned to be carried out during Q2 2009 to ensure that the citizens' needs continue to be met and the CRM remains robust enough to meet the demands of the Government's website convergence programme.

Electronic Government

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to integrate the service provided by fixmystreet.com into the service provided by Direct.gov.

Jonathan R Shaw: Starting in January 2009, we will be conducting a trial of a hyperlink between the Directgov website and MySociety's FixMyStreet.com. The trial will run for up to three months, against a set of agreed evaluation criteria, and will allow us to gather evidence of the benefits and issues arising from associations between services of this nature and Government's digital channels. This evidence will be used to inform future development decisions.

Electronic Government

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unique user visits to the Direct.gov website there have been in each month of 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: Directgov's core usage measure is visits rather than unique users. Monthly visits for 2008 are shown as follows.
	
		
			   Million visits 
			 January 2008 8.1 
			 February 2008 7.2 
			 March 2008 8.4 
			 April 2008 8.2 
			 May 2008 7.1 
			 June 2008 7.8 
			 July 2008 7.9 
			 August 2008 10.1 
			 September 2008 11.3 
			 October 2008 11.3 
			 November 2008 11.0 
		
	
	Directgov has unique user statistics for part of our site but does not yet measure unique users for all our sub domains.

Electronic Government

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the strategic plan for the Direct.gov website.

Jonathan R Shaw: Directgov has a working strategy document. We aim to place a summary of our strategy in the House in January. Our full strategy document is a living document and is currently under review; this will also be made available in January.

Electronic Government

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to introduce a facility to allow users to rate the content of web pages on the Direct.gov website.

Jonathan R Shaw: A pilot to examine how users could be allowed to rate content pages on the Directgov website is currently being developed to run from January 2009. If successful, the aim is to introduce the service during a scheduled release of the Directgov website during Q2 of FY 2009-10.

Electronic Government: Public Consultation

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider the merits of bringing forward procedures to allow people to participate in online conversations on Government consultations that are listed on the Direct.gov website.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Directgov website contains links to individual departmental consultation websites
	http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/PublicConsultations/DG_170463
	Details of the latest public consultations are also provided. Citizens can also find out about consultations in their area where searching by postcode, street and town or local authority will take them direct to the consultations page on the relevant local authority website. An enhanced consultations index is planned for delivery by mid-2009.
	At present, all consultations are hosted by individual departments and it is for those Departments to determine how the public are engaged in that consultation. Directgov has agreed to host cross-government consultations in the future and we are working with Cabinet Office on how best to do this.
	Forum functionality could be used to enable people to participate in online conversations on Government consultations. Directgov has future plans to add forum functionality to our web platform. We will consider the merits of bringing forward the implementation of this, although it will be for individual Departments to agree as to how this will be used with their own consultations.

Employment Services

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to assist  (a) lone parents and  (b) people with disabilities to (i) prepare for and (ii) obtain work.

Jonathan R Shaw: Lone parents have access to a comprehensive package of measures via new deal for lone parents or new deal plus for lone parents pilots to encourage them to improve their employment opportunities and gain independence through working.
	We have also introduced additional pre and post employment support to help more lone parents move into and remain in work. This includes: increasing work trials from three to up to six weeks; options and choices events and rolling out nationally in work credit, an in work discretion fund and in work advisory support.
	From October 2008 incapacity benefits were replaced for new customers by employment and support allowance with a revised medical assessment which focuses on what people can do, as well as what they cannot. To underpin the new more work-focused system we have made Pathways to Work support available to everyone receiving incapacity benefits, and in the future employment and support allowance.
	Specialist disability employment services also enable many thousands of disabled people to lead fulfilling working lives, people who may otherwise be excluded from the workplace. We have carried out a major review of the specialist disability employment services. The public consultation ran between 3 December 2007 and 10 March 2008 and sets out how we think we can improve these services to help more disabled people.
	The consultation also set out proposals for a new programme to replace Workstep, Work Preparation and the Job Introduction Scheme, and proposals for an enhanced role for Disability Employment Advisers. The Welfare Reform Green Paper "No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility", Cm 7363, said that we would implement these improvements to services. The Green Paper also said that we would double, by 2013/14, the budget for Access to Work. As a consequence of these changes, we will be able to help greater numbers of disabled people prepare for, take up and retain paid work.

Low Incomes

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in families in work which were earning less than the average national weekly income there were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer he was given on 30 June 2008,  Official Report, column 694W.

Post Office Card Account

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to promote the Post Office card account.

Rosie Winterton: We provide information which helps customers choose the account which best meets their needs and circumstances, including making the Post Office card account easily available to those who need it. And more than 10,000 new Post Office card accounts are opened on average each month.
	We have already made changes to the booklet being sent to existing cheque customers so that it explicitly refers to the Post Office card account. We have also updated the messages that staff use when speaking to customers to reflect the fact that the Post Office card account will now continue until at least 2015. Other communications material will be kept under review.

Post Office Card Account

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the Statement of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 967-68, on Post Office card account, what estimate he has made of the level of reasonable costs for which the Government will provide compensation to unsuccessful bidders.

Rosie Winterton: We are currently discussing with the other bidders who were still in the competition at the point at which it was halted the details of their reasonable bid costs to be reimbursed. The precise amounts payable are still to be decided and will be subject to commercial confidentiality.

Post Office Card Account

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what legal requirements applied to  (a) the decision to put the Post Office card account contract out to tender and  (b) the ending of the tender process and the award of the contract to Post Office Limited.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 8 December 2008
	The decisions to put the contract out to tender, and the decision to end the tender process, were taken in accordance with domestic and European Union law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 and EU Directive 2004/18/EC.

Post Office Card Account

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any claim for compensation has been made by a bidder in the terminated Post Office card account tender process.

Rosie Winterton: We are currently discussing with the other bidders who were still in the competition at the point at which it was halted the details of their reasonable bid costs to be reimbursed.

Post Office Card Account

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons the Government has concluded that the cancellation of the Post Office Card Account contract tender process does not require the agreement of the European Commission.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 9 December 2008
	The decision to end the tender process was taken in accordance with European Union law (EU Directive 2004/18/EC—enacted through the Public Contracts Regulations 2006), so the need for specific agreement from the Commission did not arise.

Revenue and Customs

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which of his Department's offices are shared with staff from HM Revenue and Customs.

Jonathan R Shaw: A list of all the sites which the Department shares with staff from HM Revenue and Customs has been placed in the Library.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

British Library: Security

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will request the British Library to use closed circuit television and to take other security measures in its reading rooms where rare books are consulted; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: This is a matter for the British Library. The security of the collections is an issue to which the British Library Board assigns very high priority.

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS published its first annual report on progress on disability equality in March 2008, available on the DCMS website
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/5082.aspx
	The report describes progress on each item in our action plan and further action, for example, the establishment of a Disability Reference Group, plans to improve our data collection on participation by disabled people in our sectors and work to improve the diversity of the boards of our public bodies.
	We will publish our second progress report early in 2009.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1110W, on departmental temporary employment, how many staff were recruited through each company in each year; and for how long on average staff recruited through these companies worked for the Department in each year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Work Experience

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many individuals have worked in his Department on  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid work experience or internships in each of the past three years; on average how many hours a week were worked by such people in each year; what types of work each was involved in; what proportion were in full-time education; what proportion did not complete their set period of work experience; and how much those who received remuneration were paid on average per week in each year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS takes part in the Summer Diversity Internship Programme which is led by Cabinet Office. In the last three years, DCMS has taken five graduate/postgraduate interns (per year) for a period of six to eight weeks. They were each paid equivalent of a grade C/EO post and worked an average of 36 hours per week across the Department. Each candidate sent a CV which outlined their interests and as a Department, sought to match each intern with a particular area of interest in the Department. All the interns who took part in the programme completed the agreed time with us.

Film: Bradford

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support his Department is giving to Bradford's bid to become the world's first city of film.

Barbara Follett: The Department has not received any direct requests for support regarding Bradford's bid to become the first UNESCO City of Film.
	However, the Regional Screen Agency, Screen Yorkshire—which is funded by the UK Film Council—has continued to provide a great deal of assistance to the bid. In the last six months they have given senior management time to the board, awarded finance to help in purchasing a projector and they are working to align City of Film activity with the UK-wide Film Education Strategy (21(st) Century Literacy). In addition, Steve Abbott chairs both the Screen Yorkshire and the City of Film bid Boards.

National Lottery Commission: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much the National Lottery Commission spent on administration in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much the National Lottery Commission spent on staff expenses in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by the National Lottery Commission in each year since 1997;
	(4)  how much the National Lottery Commission paid to external consultants in each year since 1997;
	(5)  how much the National Lottery Commission spent on salaries in each year since 1997;
	(6)  how much the National Lottery Commission spent on staff bonuses in each year since 1997.

Barbara Follett: The National Lottery Commission have advised that the following payments were made:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Administration  Staff expenses  Number of FTE staff  Consultants costs  Salaries  Bonus 
			 1999-2000 271,000 37,000 37 1,378,000 1,367,000 — 
			 2000-01 293,000 88,000 33 2,438,000 1,443,000 11,000 
			 2001-02 224,000 77,000 30 700,000 1,362,000 26,000 
			 2002-03 224,000 41,000 28 772,000 1,439,000 32,000 
			 2003-04 217,000 32,000 41 1,049,000 1,811,000 50,000 
			 2004-05 275,000 40,000 42 1,029,000 1,960,000 49,000 
			 2005-06 344,000 129,000 42 5,241,000 2,283,000 61,000 
			 2006-07 356,000 35,000 44.5 7,506,000 2,536,000 80,000 
			 2007-08 628,000 57,000 43.6 2,637,000 2,650,000 72,000 
			  Notes: 1. The National Lottery Commission was set up on 1 April 1999. As such, figures have been provided from financial year 1999-2000.  2. Administration costs exclude legal advice, external auditor's remuneration or other consultancy costs.  3. Staff expenses figures are travel and subsistence expenses claimed by NLC staff.  4. Consultancy costs include legal costs, external auditor's remuneration and other consultancy costs.  5. Salaries include pension and national insurance contributions.  6. Staff bonuses are paid in July each year, in arrears for the previous financial year.  7. Throughout the financial years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 the Commission was running the competition to award the national lottery operator licence.

National Lottery: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what income his Department received from the National Lottery in each year since 1997.

Barbara Follett: Income received by DCMS in each year from the National Lottery Distribution Fund is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
			   Recovery of National Lottery Commission  gran t  in  aid  Recovery of DCMS costs 
			 1997-98 1,991 203 
			 1998-99 1,815 589 
			 1999-2000 2,740 161 
			 2000-01 4,396 238 
			 2001-02 2,809 228 
			 2002-03 2,342 223 
			 2003-04 3,765 243 
			 2004-05 4,401 236 
			 2005-06 7,921 245 
			 2006-07 8,047 267 
			 2007-08 9,848 210

Queen Elizabeth II: Anniversaries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what plans he has to link celebrations marking the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with the London Olympics in 2012;
	(2)  what plans his Department has made to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge) on 19 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1077W.

Sports: Public Participation

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his estimate is of the number of adults who participated in moderate intensity sport at least three times a week in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Taking Part Survey provides annual estimates of the number of adults in England who participate in moderate intensity sport (including recreational cycling and walking) at least three times a week. The survey began in 2005 and comparable data are therefore not available before this point.
	
		
			   Percentage  Estimated number 
			 2005-06 20.9 (+/- 0.6) 7,952,000 
			 2006-07 21.5 (+/-0.7) 8,429,000 
			 2007-08(1) 21.6 (+/-0.9) 8,493,000 
			 (1) This figure is based on interim six-month data, as final estimates from the 2007-08 survey have not yet been published.

Video Games

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the contribution to the economy of the computer games industry.

Barbara Follett: The information is as follows:
	In 2007, the turnover of the UK games market (games consoles, software and accessories) totalled £3.356 billion, rising from £2.18 billion in 2006. ( Source: Screen Digest)
	There are 280 games companies in the UK employing over 10,000 creative staff. Employment of a further 18,100 people is supported by the sector. ( Source: Oxford Economics report: The Economic Contribution of the Games Development Industry)
	In 2008 so far the UK games development industry contribution to GDP is £386 million. ( Source: as aforementioned)
	Please note that the aforementioned figures are taken from industry commissioned reports. It is not possible to use official Government statistics to measure the total size of the games sector as relevant figures are currently included in the wider SIC category of "software, computer games and electronic publishing". An SIC code revision exercise took place in 2007 and the newly identified code for computer games publishing will come into effect in 2009 when the first data are published.

Youth Alcohol Action Plan

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) yellow cards and  (b) red cards have been issued to licensees under his Department's alert system referred to in the Youth Alcohol Action Plan.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The adoption of a yellow and red card approach to licensing reviews does not necessarily mean the physical issue of actual cards. The term is an illustrative one used to explain how enforcement and licensing officers can put irresponsible premises on notice that they face losing their licence if they do not improve. At first review (yellow card) tough conditions can be included on the premises licence. If, after another review, there has been no improvement or the licence conditions have been breached, the licence could be suspended or revoked (red card). We are working with licensing authorities to explore how they might use such an approach to take swift and firm action against problem premises.

Zoneparcs

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Zoneparcs are in operation; and how much funding for these projects has been  (a) allocated and  (b) spent to date.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Youth Sport Trust have advised that the budget for Zoneparc between 2004 and 2007 was £8,250,000 and has all been spent. This has resulted in a total of 425 Zoneparcs being set up.
	Zoneparc was a playground project aimed at tackling social exclusion and increasing activity levels of young people by introducing innovative break time activities and playground management systems to make break times safer and more fun for everyone in the school.
	There is currently no more planned funding. However, the Department for Children, Schools and Families Children's Plan sets out a new agenda on how Government will support children with the biggest ever investment in play of £225 million. In April 2008 this was increased by an additional £10 million—a vital investment to support the development of more stimulating play facilities for children which children and families have told us they want to see.
	An offer of capital funding will be made to every local authority in England to support the delivery of stimulating local places to play. The £235 million will fund 30 new adventure playgrounds or play parks, and up to 3,500 play areas nationally will be rebuilt or renewed. We expect these to be fun, stimulating, accessible places to play. We want these to be inclusive for all children, including disabled children, and aimed particularly at 8 to 13-year-olds and those living in disadvantaged areas.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Written Questions

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many questions for written answer tabled to his Department in Session 2007-08 did not receive a substantive reply; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: Out of a total number of 1,720 questions received by my Department in the last Session, four questions did not receive a substantive reply. All four questions were tabled in November. Unfortunately, it was not possible to answer any of them prior to Prorogation.
	A further seven questions received a Prorogation answer (these were tabled on or after 20 November).

WALES

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office is included in the MoJ Disability Equality Scheme, published at:
	www.justice.gov.uk/docs/disability-equality-scheme.pdf

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties.

Paul Murphy: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	I travel by train on a weekly basis. I last used a train on 9 December.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Right of Search

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what information the Commission has on the time and date when the Clerk of the House was informed of the Metropolitan Police's search of the Parliamentary office of the hon. Member for Ashford.

Nick Harvey: This is not a matter for the Commission. The House has decided to set up a Committee to review this matter.

TRANSPORT

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties.

Geoff Hoon: My official travel is undertaken in line with the requirements of the Ministerial Code. The last rail journey I undertook on official business was today, 10 December 2008.

Driving Tests: Motorcycles

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many candidates took the motorcycle driving test in each of the last 18 months for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of candidates who took the practical motorcycle riding test in each of the last 18 months is in the following table.
	
		
			  Month  Candidates (number) 
			  2007  
			 April 6,293 
			 May 7,590 
			 June 8,309 
			 July 8,706 
			 August 9,214 
			 September 8,238 
			 October 8,458 
			 November 7,654 
			 December 4,353 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 4,023 
			 February 4,576 
			 March 5,268 
			 April 7,772 
			 May 8,404 
			 June 9,208 
			 July 11,285 
			 August 11,436 
			 September 13,517 
			 October 7,669

Railways: Fares

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average rise in regulated rail fares was from  (a) Abbey Wood Station,  (b) Barnehurst Station,  (c) Bexleyheath Station,  (d) Crayford Station,  (e) Slade Green Station and  (f) Welling Station to London in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The office of Rail Regulation publishes "National Rail Trends" on a quarterly basis. This document contains a variety of industry information and statistics including a national fares index.

Roads: Accidents

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) fatalities,  (b) serious injuries and  (c) other outcomes there were in road accidents in each county in England in each month of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A table showing the numbers of reported personal injury road casualties in each county in England in each month of the past five years, showing  (a) fatalities  (b) seriously injured casualties and  (c) slightly injured casualties has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

SCOTLAND

Devolution Settlement

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had on the operation of the devolution settlement.

Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues and others about the devolution settlement to ensure that it continues to deliver for the people of Scotland and maintain our place within the Union.

Pre-Budget Report

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect on the Scottish economy of the measures announced in the Pre-Budget report.

Jim Murphy: The package of measures represents a welcome £2 billion boost for Scottish families and businesses. This will provide the required fiscal stimulus while ensuring stability and readiness to take advantage once we enter the upturn in the economy.

Banking Sector

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on the future of the banking sector in Scotland.

Jim Murphy: I am in regular contact with the First Minister and discuss a variety of issues. The Scottish banking system is now well placed to combat these difficult times after the significant intervention by this Government to stabilise the market.

National Minimum Wage

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on ensuring that businesses in Scotland are complying with the national minimum wage.

Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions with the Chancellor on a range of issues. We are committed to effective national minimum wage enforcement through new penalties contained within the Employment Act 2008, and initiatives such as the current "It's Your Call" roadshow, which I attended in Glasgow last month. The roadshow will give workers advice on their entitlements and on how to make a complaint if they have been underpaid.

Mortgage Lenders

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with representatives of mortgage lenders in Scotland.

Jim Murphy: I met with Scottish representatives of the Council of Mortgage Lenders on 30 October to discuss steps to minimise house repossessions.

Scottish Water

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the status of Scottish Water as a publicly owned company.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend has had no recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the status of Scottish water.

Income Support

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the likely effect of recent changes in entitlement rules for income support on vulnerable people in Scotland.

Jim Murphy: From 27 October 2008 employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on incapacity grounds for new customers. From 24 November 2008 changes were introduced to income support for certain lone parents. Lone parents and other groups will continue to receive the same amount of benefit on jobseekers allowance as they do under income support. There will be no impacts on benefit payments. The modified JSA will cater for a wide variety of different support needs. As now, there will be no requirement for some groups (for example, carers) to engage in work-focused activity.

Debt Advice Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Scottish Executive Ministers on the provision of debt advice in Scotland.

Jim Murphy: I held a constructive meeting with the First Minister and Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, STUC and CBS Scotland on 21 October to discuss the actions being taken by the UK Government to address these difficult economic times. We agreed at that meeting to maintain regular contact and this has continued. I also convened a meeting with representatives of Citizens Advice Scotland and Money Advice Scotland to discuss how new measures in the pre-Budget report, such as the £10 million, with £1 million consequentials for Scotland, between now and March 2010 for the Citizens' Advice Bureaux, will help the most needy in society.

Bank Services

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Scottish banks on arrangements for public financial support for them.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend regularly meets representatives of the Scottish banking sector to discuss a range of issues.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what records his Department maintains of its expenditure on  (a) official hospitality and  (b) alcohol for official hospitality.

Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for the Scotland Office on 17 April 2007,  Official Report, column 765W.

JUSTICE

Legal Services Ombudsman

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how long on average it has taken the Legal Services Ombudsman to  (a) deal with and  (b) decide individual cases in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The office of the legal services ombudsman (OLSO) aims to provide an excellent service to all of its customers.
	The average turnaround time between 1 December 2007 and 30 November 2008 is 2.44 months for the legal services ombudsman to deal with and decide individual cases.

Migration: Isle of Man

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of former UK residents who have taken up residence in the Isle of Man in the last three years.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice has not made any such estimates. However, I am informed by the Isle of Man Government that according to the 2006 Census, between 2001 and 2005 some 6,910 new residents arrived from the UK and were still residing in the island at 23-24 April 2006. It should be noted that this figure would include previous Isle of Man residents, including those who were Manx-born, and non-British nationals.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Australian nationals were detained in HM prisons at the latest date for which figures are available.

David Hanson: At the end of September 2008, the latest date for which this information is available, there were 26 Australian nationals detained in prison establishments in England and Wales. Information on the number of foreign national prisoners by nationality is published quarterly in table 5 of the Population in Custody monthly brief at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm.
	The figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prostitution: Offenders

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many women were serving prison sentences for offences in connection with prostitution at the latest date for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The legal background to the offence of being a common prostitute, loitering, or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution is contained in Section 1 of the Street Offences Act, 1959.
	Under the Act the maximum penalty for this offence is a fine, not imprisonment. Figures obtained from the prison service IT system confirm that there are currently no women serving prison sentences for the offence. Non-payment of any fine accruing from the offence would be recorded as defaulting on the payment of the fine.

Reoffenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of offenders released from prison in the first quarter of  (a) 2000,  (b) 2001,  (c) 2005 and  (d) 2006 reoffended between one and two years of release.

David Hanson: Table 1 shows the one-year reoffending rates for offenders leaving custody in the first quarter of the years 2000 to 2006 (data for 2001 are unavailable due to problems with archived data for community sentences). The table shows the proportion of offenders that committed at least one further offence and the number of further offences committed per 100 offenders.
	
		
			  Table 1: One-year reoffending rates, offenders leaving custody, 2000-06 
			   Number of offenders  Proportion of offenders offending (one year)  (percentage)  Number of offences per 100 offenders (one year) 
			 2000 15,727 51.4 245.5 
			 2002 15,578 55.0 288.2 
			 2003 14,358 53.9 279.1 
			 2004 15,761 51.9 253.1 
			 2005 14,595 49.1 228.5 
			 2006 14,380 46.5 208.4 
		
	
	Two-year reoffending rates are available for the 2000 to 2005 cohorts. For these cohorts, the only figures available are the proportion of offenders who committed a further offence within two years. These figures are shown in Table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: Two-year reoffending rates, offenders leaving custody,  2000-2005 
			   Number of offenders  Proportion offenders offending (two years)  (percentage) 
			 2000 16,527 64.8 
			 2002 15,887 67.4 
			 2003 15,305 65.8 
			 2004 16,385 64.7 
			 2005 14,713 62.1 
		
	
	It should be noted that comparisons between the one and two-year rates should be interpreted with caution. This is due to a slight improvement in the method used to count offenders released from custody (or starting court orders under probation supervision) when we moved to measuring reoffending over one year rather than two.
	Information on the percentage of offenders that reoffended between one and two years of release is not readily available. However, some information on the rate of reoffending between the first and second year can be seen in Figure 2 (page 4) of the publication.
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb2505.pdf
	We have had real success in reducing the reoffending of offenders released from custody. Between 2000 and 2006 the number of reoffences committed by offenders released from custody has fallen 15.1 per cent.
	Overall, the most recent reoffending statistics, published in September 2008, demonstrated that reoffending frequency fell among adult offenders in 2006.
	The figures showed a 22.9 per cent. fall in the frequency rate from 189.4 to 146.1 offences per 100 offenders between 2000 and 2006.The number of adult reoffences classified as most serious fell 11.1 per cent. from 0.78 to 0.69 offences per 100 offenders.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many representations his Department has received on changes to the special educational needs and disability tribunal in the last six months.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice has received 157 representations on the changes to the special educational needs and disability tribunal in the last six months.

Tourism: Isle of Man

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many tourists from the UK visited the Isle of Man in 2007.

Michael Wills: The information is not held in the form requested. The Isle of Man Government estimate that there were approximately 295,600 visits to the Island in 2007 by UK residents, but this number does not equate to the number of visitors.

Young Offender Institutions

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many children between the ages of  (a) 11 and 13,  (b) 14 and 16 and  (c) 17 and 18 years were held in young offender institutions in each year since 1997, broken down by sex;
	(2)  how many children were detained in the prison estate on 1 April in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) sex and  (b) offence for which they were detained.

David Hanson: In law, children are young persons under the age of 15. Young offender institutions accommodate sentenced prisoners aged from 15 to 21. No children under the age of 15 are held in prison. The following figures refer to children and young people under the age of 18 as at the end of June in each year since 1997 held in prison establishments in England and Wales.
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Male
			 15 to 17 1,620 1,627 1,643 1,786 1,901 1,986 1,724 1,706 1,780 1,814 1,827 
			 
			  Female
			 15-17 53 62 67 65 64 103 57 58 56 50 56 
		
	
	This table is taken from table 7.3 in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library, and at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm.
	The following table gives the numbers of 15 to 17-year-olds held under immediate custodial sentence in all prison establishments in England and Wales between 2003 and 2007, by offence:
	
		
			  15 to 17-year-olds 
			  Males and Females  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Immediate custodial sentence 1,781 1,763 1,835 1,865 1,883 
			 Violence against the person 320 341 389 391 422 
			 Sexual offences 42 55 65 68 73 
			 Robbery 456 456 438 503 509 
			 Burglary 290 248 289 282 283 
			 Theft and handling 299 277 233 192 191 
			 Fraud and forgery 2 7 11 11 10 
			 Drug offences 49 57 79 71 74 
			 Motoring offences 123 94 58 69 44 
			 Other offences 155 203 257 265 259 
			 Offence not recorded 44 27 18 13 19 
		
	
	This table is taken from table 7.10 in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library, and at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm.
	Figures for the years between 1997 and 2002 are as follows:
	
		
			  All sentenced males and females 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002 
			 Total 1,673 1,689 1,710 1,860 1,976 2,084 
			
			 Violence against the person 231 241 267 288 358 364 
			 All sexual offences (before 2001) 40 47 48 59   
			 Rape 30 29 
			 Other sexual offences 22 29 
			 Burglary 452 434 454 468 391 404 
			 Robbery 443 475 425 409 439 519 
			 Theft and handling 181 202 219 310 325 319 
			 Fraud and forgery 0 4 6 6 5 5 
			 Drugs offences 49 51 
			 Other offences 191 179 230 280 293 287 
			 Offence not recorded 135 107 61 39 64 78 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Beaches: Standards

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on water quality at English beaches and the Blue Flag scheme.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Secretary of State has not held any discussions with EU counterparts in the last year about the quality of bathing waters in England.
	The Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC, as revised by 2006/7/EC) sets water quality standards for bathing waters. The Blue Flag scheme is an independent award, administered in England by ENCAMS, which has water quality as only one of its criteria.

British Waterways Board

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to page 119 of the Pre Budget Report Cm 7684, what form will be taken by the review to assess how best public value might be delivered from assets in the medium term in respect of British Waterways; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Treasury Operational Efficiency Programme Review will consider the scope for improved asset management across Government. The project will include a review of the British Waterways non-operational property portfolio, and business model, to consider how its assets might best deliver public value. The review will consider carefully any implications of options considered for the long-term funding of British Waterways' statutory responsibilities. Formal Terms of Reference for the review will shortly be finalised.

Departmental Consultants

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) businesses and  (b) individuals provided consultancy services to his Department in each of the last three years; and what the top 10 contracts by value were in each case.

Huw Irranca-Davies: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Department will in its departmental report 2009 publish a list of its 10 most valuable contracts in the expenditure area of consultancy. A copy of the departmental report will be placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Consultants

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) businesses and  (b) individuals provided consultancy service to his Department in each of the last three years; and what the 10 most valuable contracts were in each case.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 8 December 2008
	The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Department will in its departmental report 2009 publish a list of its 10 most valuable contracts in the expenditure area of consultancy. A copy of the departmental report will be placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Public Expenditure

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on professional  (a) IT and telecommunication,  (b) management and business consultancy,  (c) programme and project management,  (d) research and development,  (e) specialist consultancy and  (f) temporary staff services in 2007-08.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 8 December 2008
	The information is being compiled for inclusion in DEFRA's departmental report for 2009, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House.

Environment Agency: Manpower

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many flood engineers are employed by the Environment Agency; and how many vacancies for flood engineers there are at the Environment Agency.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency estimates that it employs around 200 chartered and incorporated engineers with experience in flood and coastal risk management. The Environment Agency has 64 vacancies in engineering posts. It is recruiting to fill 20 posts and will start recruiting for the remaining 44 posts in the new year.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which districts have held emergency planning measures and resilience scenarios to prepare for future flooding incidents following the floods of summer 2007.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In the last survey undertaken by the Government (the National Capability Survey in January 2008) some 70 per cent. of Category 1 responders indicated they had validated their flood response plan through an exercise or during a real event in the last two years. Category 1 responders are those organisations at the core of the response to most emergencies (e.g. emergency services, local authorities, NHS bodies).
	More recent information has confirmed that there have been exercises in every Government office region across the country since summer 2007. These range from in-house exercises by individual responder organisations to multi-agency exercises involving a number of Local Resilience Forums across the region. There have also been a number of real flooding events that have triggered the use of local flood emergency plans.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been made to improve the resilience of critical infrastructure from flooding since the floods which took place in July 2007.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In response to Sir Michael Pitt's interim report, the Government agreed the need to introduce a systematic, co-ordinated, cross-sector campaign to reduce the disruption caused by natural hazards to critical infrastructure and essential services. The Government will now establish a 'Natural Hazards Team' charged with co-ordinating efforts to identify and counter the risks to national infrastructure from natural hazards. In the short term, the systematic programme will co-ordinate the early assessment of the vulnerability and risk of flooding in the most critical elements of national infrastructure.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change instigated reviews of the resilience of the electricity, gas and oil sectors to flood risks in 2007 and 2008. In the case of electricity, work is well advanced to identify and develop additional resilience measures on a site specific basis. The oil and gas industries demonstrated a high level of confidence in the inherent resilience of their infrastructure. However, both industries are reviewing the remaining risks to identify precautionary measures. In the telecommunications industry, the distributed network largely provides the necessary service resilience. In the water sector, Ofwat has issued guidance for water companies on flood risk assessment and identification of priority investments in preparation for the 2009 price review.

Floods: Housing

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many properties were considered to be at risk of flooding in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency undertakes regular assessments of the number of properties at risk of flooding from rivers and from the sea through its National Flood Risk Assessments (NaFRA). There are no national figures available to estimate the number of properties at risk of flooding from surface water, drains or sewers.
	DEFRA made estimates through its national assessment of assets at risk (NAAR) in 2000 and 2001. The Environment Agency undertook risk assessment for strategic planning (RASP) research in 2002 and developed the research tool into the NaFRA methodology with results in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
	DEFRA and the Environment Agency have estimated the number of properties to be at risk from flooding in the following years.
	
		
			   Source  Properties at risk ( m illion) 
			 2001 NAAR 1.9 
			 2002 RASP 1.7 
			 2004 NaFRA 2.2 
			 2005 NaFRA 2.2 
			 2006 NaFRA 2.3

Floods: Warnings

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent improvements have been made to the Environment Agency's flood warning system.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency continuously investigates ways to improve the service it provides to all customers at risk through its flood warning systems. Recent and planned improvements include:
	extending real-time river level monitoring network to cover more sites at risk;
	improving the quality of forecasts of tidal and river flooding by developing computer models;
	recruitment of over 70,000 people since summer 2007 with a further 60,000 expected to be recruited by February next year, raising people on the system to well over 400,000;
	a series of local campaigns to raise awareness of flood risk and encourage more people to sign-up to our flood warning system;
	negotiating with the telecommunications companies holding ex-directory landline phone numbers so we can warn everyone on this list by the end of 2009;
	working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to produce audio versions of the leaflets which tell people what to do before, during and after a flood;
	producing audio versions, developed in conjunction with the RNIB, of their guides to flooding;
	working with critical infrastructure operators to share information on flood depths and levels so energy and water companies can identify which of their assets are at risk;
	launching an online registration system for the public to sign up for floodline warnings direct by spring 2009;
	providing a more targeted flood warning service by creating more specific and appropriately named community flood warning areas;
	reviewing existing Floodline Warnings Direct (FWD) customer data to ensure that they hold accurate information;
	contacting 9,200 existing customers to inform them that the flood risk to their property had been reduced and they no longer had to stay registered with FWD; and,
	undertaking trials with a number of local authorities to see how advice from different organisations can be accessed at one point through the Environment Agency's Floodline service.

Insects

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of trends in the populations of pollinating insects in the last five years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of trends in the populations of  (a) bees,  (b) moths,  (c) butterflies,  (d) beetles,  (e) upwing flies and  (f) other invertebrates in the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Trend data do not exist for all invertebrates, but have been collated for some groups, especially the more iconic ones, such as butterflies and bees. Only the longer term data sets can give a meaningful picture of the changes in trends rather than shorter term fluctuations.
	Trends for UK Biodiversity Action Plan invertebrates are also assessed individually every three years through a national reporting round. The data from 2008 reporting will be available early in 2009.

Marine and Fisheries Agency

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which functions of the Marine and Fisheries Agency are dependent on the Agency's location; and for what reasons in each case.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) currently operates from 18 offices around the coast of England and a HQ office in London. DEFRA intends for the functions delivered by the MFA to be taken on by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) as proposed in the Marine and Coastal Access Bill published on 5 December.
	There are no functions of the MFA HQ which are dependent on the location. Careful consideration is currently being given to the most suitable location for the MMO's HQ, which will also comprise the existing coastal offices of the MFA. The criteria being used to identify a suitable location include identifying marine stakeholder clusters to promote close relationships with users and regulators in the marine area, and universities with marine specialisations.
	No decision has been taken on the location of the MMO HQ or the timing of any move. However, DEFRA is working hard to ensure continued effective services are provided during the transition to the MMO, and beyond.

Marine Management Organisation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the effect on the Marine Management Organisation's operations of relocating its headquarters outside London.

Huw Irranca-Davies: A significant part of the operational work undertaken by Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA) HQ is to meet EU obligations, and the effective transition provided by the skeleton body will help avoid the possibility of infraction if the organisation is unable to meet these requirements. A Marine Management Organisation (MMO) skeleton body will be set up to start running from autumn 2009 to run in parallel with the MFA until 31 March 2010 to mitigate any risks arising as a result of relocating.
	To ensure there is no loss in knowledge and skills from the MFA between now and autumn 2009, I will be announcing a decision on the MMO HQ's location as soon as possible. This is to ensure that existing staff work closely with both the MFA's senior management team and the MMO implementation team to capture knowledge and pass it to MMO staff who will begin to populate the skeleton body.

Marine Management Organisation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new jobs there will be for local people in each of the new locations of the Marine Management Organisation; and how much each such job will cost to create as a proportion of the total costs of the move.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Until existing Marine and Fisheries Agency staff have had the opportunity to choose whether or not to relocate, it is not possible to say how many new jobs there might be.
	When it is clearer how many staff will relocate and, therefore, how many new people will need to be recruited, my officials will be able to start a recruitment exercise. In order to attract the best possible pool of talent for the Marine Management Organisation, this will not necessarily be restricted to recruiting locally.
	For these reasons, it is not possible to say how many new jobs there will be for local people and hence, relate this to the costs of the move.

Seals: Conservation

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to protect the UK's populations of common and grey seals.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Seal conservation is a devolved issue, so I will answer with respect to England only. Seals are protected in England by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970. Under the 1970 Act it is an offence to take or kill common and grey seals out of season.
	The 1970 Act also allows the Secretary of State if it appears necessary for the proper conservation of seals, to prohibit by way of an order the killing, injuring or taking of either or both the above seal species in any area specified in the order. There is currently such an order (The Conservation of Seals (England) Order 1999) protecting common and grey seals on the East coast of England in order to allow the numbers to recover from the Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) outbreaks of 1988 and 2002 which greatly reduced the common seal population on the east coast of England.
	Several marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) have been created around the UK to specifically protect, among other species, common and grey seals. Within SACs, competent authorities have to take appropriate steps to avoid significant disturbance to the species concerned or deterioration of their habitat.

Seas and Oceans: Noise

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of shipping noise on  (a) whales,  (b) dolphins,  (c) porpoises and  (d) other aquatic animals;
	(2)  if he will bring forward proposals to designate ocean noise a pollutant for the purposes of the forthcoming Marine Bill.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The UK Government are concerned about the potential impact of undersea noise on cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and the wider marine environment, and have taken action on a number of issues in this respect.
	In October 2004, DEFRA commissioned research assessing the feasibility of examining the ears of stranded dead cetaceans to determine whether they show any signs of damage due to marine noise. A report on the findings of this research was published in November 2006 and showed that of the three sets of cetacean ears examined in detail, none had evidence of acoustic trauma. It went on to outline the technical problems associated with examining cetacean ears for the effects of marine noise. A copy of the report is available on the Science pages of the DEFRA website at
	www.defra.gov.uk
	In November 2005, the UK supported the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Resolution 8.22 on adverse human induced impacts on cetaceans, which included requesting the CMS Secretariat and Scientific Council to review the extent to which CMS and CMS cetacean-related agreements are addressing various human induced impacts, including marine noise.
	DEFRA was also part of an Inter-Agency Committee on Marine Science and Technology (IACMST) working group on 'Underwater Sound and Marine Life'. This working group prepared a report detailing what steps were needed in light of present information, in order to achieve a regulatory framework for the control of sound in the marine environment. This report can be found on the IACMST website at
	www.marine.gov.uk
	More recently, the Government have provided funding towards work on cetacean distribution and abundance in European Atlantic offshore waters. The information collected as part of this project is intended to assist in making an assessment of the different threats to cetaceans, including seismic activity. We anticipate the final report to be available by early 2009, and we hope that it will help to inform what mitigation measures may be required for the protection of cetaceans.
	In order to improve our understanding of the scale and impacts of human derived noise occurring in the marine environment, the Department also intends to complete a call for research proposals in early 2009. This call will be to identify and take forward research on assessing the current status of marine noise occurring in the marine environment, including shipping, and assessing what the impacts are on marine life.
	DEFRA, in line with its commitments under both ASCOBANS (Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas) and the Habitats Directive (Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora, Council Directive 92/43/EEC), also supports a long running contract with the Natural History Museum examining causes of mortality in stranded cetaceans and marine turtles around the UK. This research helps to inform what factors, e.g. disease, malnutrition, may be affecting the populations of cetaceans in UK waters.
	In addition, The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is funding two projects by consultants, Subacoustech Limited—estimating, measuring and controlling the environmental effects of man-made noise on the marine environment, and a feasibility and demonstration study on the active and passive detection of marine mammals.
	Using powers contained in the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, the Government plan to designate Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) which will form part of an ecological coherent network of marine protected areas around the UK. MCZs will be designated to protect habitats and species of national importance and will be protected through new duties being placed on public authorities. Where the achievement of the conservation objectives for an MCZ requires marine noise to be controlled, the competent authority will have duties to that effect.
	The impacts of marine noise on the wider environment will also be taken into account through decisions made using the new marine planning system and licensing process as proposed in the Bill, and as required under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. The Government consider that the proposals contained in the Bill, together with existing legislation, will provide the necessary powers to control marine noise where it poses a risk to valuable marine wildlife.
	I am pleased to confirm that the Government introduced the Marine and Coastal Access Bill into the House of Lords on 4 December 2008.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Identity Cards: Fees and Charges

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the charge will be for registering a change of  (a) name,  (b) marital status and  (c) address under the proposed national identity card scheme.

Meg Hillier: Martial status will not be recorded on the National Identity Register. As such, a need to update marital status does not arise. It is currently expected that a change of address on an individual's record on the National Identity Register will not incur a fee.
	For a change of name, or any change that would require a replacement identity card to be issued, it is proposed that the initial fee for a replacement card will be £30 in 2009 and 2010, subject to an evaluation phase at relevant airports where the fee may be waived for airside workers who are required to enrol on the National Identity Register and are issued with an identity card.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the number of apprenticeships taken up in  (a) Wandsworth and  (b) London in each month since January 2006, broken down by apprenticeship type.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts in the region of London from January 2006 to July 2007, by the month in which the apprenticeship started. Figures are presented up to the end of the 2006-07 academic year, the latest year for which fully audited data are available.
	Numbers for Wandsworth local authority are too small to split by the month in which the course has started.
	Table 2 shows the number of apprenticeship starts in Wandsworth local authority, London and a total for all regions for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 academic year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship starts in London by month of start for January 2006 to July 2007 
			  Month apprenticeship started  Advanced apprenticeship  Apprenticeship  Total 
			  2006
			 January 240 660 900 
			 February 220 540 760 
			 March 200 610 810 
			 April 140 390 520 
			 May 150 390 550 
			 June 140 370 500 
			 July 250 530 780 
			 August 330 810 1,140 
			 September 860 1,750 2,610 
			 October 270 780 1,060 
			 November 290 610 910 
			 December 140 380 510 
			 
			  2007
			 January 250 610 860 
			 February 70 110 180 
			 March 220 490 710 
			 April 150 470 620 
			 May 160 350 510 
			 June 180 410 580 
			 July 330 560 890 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for advanced apprenticeships include a small number of higher level apprenticeships. 2. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding. 3. Local authority and region is based on learner's home postcode.  Source: WBL ILR 2005-06 and 2006-07 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Apprenticeship starts in Wandsworth local authority, London and all regions 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			   Advanced apprenticeship  Apprenticeship  Total  Advanced Apprenticeship  Apprenticeship  Total 
			 Wandsworth London 60 3,250 190 7,770- 250 11,010 70 3,380 140 7,710 220 11,090 
			 All regions 52,130 122,850 174,980 57,020 127,410 184,430 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for advanced apprenticeships include a small number of higher level apprenticeships. 2. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding. 3. Local authority and region is based on learner's home postcode.  Source: WBL ILR 2005-06 and 2006-07

Copyright

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his policy is on penalties for  (a) physical and  (b) online copyright infringement; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Penalties for criminal copyright infringement must be proportionate to the harm caused to UK industries, so that they act as an effective deterrent. We have recently (31 October) completed a consultation on introducing exceptional summary maxima (above 5,000) in the magistrates courts for offences of online and physical copyright infringement.

Degrees: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what percentage of students completing BEd courses were awarded a  (a) pass,  (b) third class and  (c) lower second class degree in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The available information relates to undergraduates gaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) by class of degree in English Higher Education Institutions, and is given in the following table.
	
		
			  First degree with QTS qualifications obtained by class of degree English higher education institutions, academic years 1997 - 98 to 2006 - 07 
			Of which: class of degree 
			Pass  Third  Lower Second( 2)  Other( 3)  Total classified  Unclassified( 4) 
			  Academic year  Total first degree qualifiers with QTS( 1)  No.  %( 5)  No.  %( 5)  No.  %( 5)  No.  %( 5)  No.  %( 5)  No.  %( 5) 
			 1997-98 8,740 180 2.1 225 2.6 3,720 43.4 4,450 51.9 8,580 100.0 160  
			 1998-99 8,385 110 1.3 285 3.4 3,605 43.7 4,260 51.6 8,260 100.0 125  
			 1999-2000 6,785 70 1.0 170 2.6 2,685 40.2 3,760 56.2 6,690 100.0 95  
			 2000-01 6,205 25 0.4 160 2.6 2,430 39.6 3,520 57.4 6,135 100.0 65  
			 2001-02 5,920 20 0.3 145 2.5 2,320 39.8 3,350 57.4 5,830 100.0 90  
			 2002-03 5,785 40 0.7 150 2.6 2,175 38.3 3,325 58.4 5,690 100.0 95  
			 2003-04 5,585 30 0.5 220 3.9 2,145 38.7 3,145 56.8 5,535 100.0 50  
			 2004-05 5,200 65 13 195 3.8 2,095 40.5 2,815 54.4 5,165 100.0 30  
			 2005-06 5,175 35 0.7 170 3.3 2,090 40.4 2,870 55.6 5,165 100.0 15  
			 2006-07 5,740 50 0.9 180 3.2 2,245 39.3 3,235 56.6 5,710 100.0 35  
			 (1) Includes Unclassified qualifications. (2) Includes Lower Second Class Honours and Undivided Second Class Honours. (3) Includes First Class Honours, Upper Second Class Honours and Fourth Class Honours. (4) Includes Unclassified, Aegrotat, Ordinary and General Degrees. (5) The percentage calculations are expressed excluding Unclassified from the denominator.  Notes: Includes those on BEd courses and those on BA or BSc with QTS. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest five and percentages have been rounded to one decimal place.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Adult Education

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces enrolled in adult education courses in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevan Jones: Information on how many members of the armed forces have enrolled in adult education courses are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Allowances

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how Longer Service Separation Allowance payments for members of the armed forces are calculated.

Kevan Jones: The aim of LSA is to support and improve retention by compensating those personnel experiencing separation over and above that compensated for by the X factor. The Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) conducted a review of the X factor as part of their 2007-08 programme, and the Government accepted the AFPRB's recommendation to increase the X factor from 13 per cent. to 14 per cent. with effect from April 2008. Importantly, since X factor is merged into basic salary, its benefit is not only in a significant increase in monthly salary, but also in pension growth.
	Given this X factor provision for lower levels of separation, LSA has a qualifying period of 10 days' involuntary separation before entitlement is triggered, at which point the allowance is paid with effect from the first day of separation. There is an exception for seagoing units, where LSA is awarded from the first day of departing base port, and also for 'on the road' posts in which individuals experience high frequency of separation of periods of at least four days' duration. Moreover, noting the close relationship between X factor and longer separation allowance, LSA is reviewed periodically by the AFPRB.
	The allowance is paid according to 14 different tiers, currently ranging from 6.38 to 26.94 (taxable) per dayas recommended by the AFPRB. Increment level 1 is paid for the first 400 days' qualifying separation, with incremental progression for each subsequent 300 days of qualifying separation. As such, the daily payment increases according to the through-career separation 'clock'. Payment to individuals is through the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system.

Armed Forces: Allowances

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Joint Professional Administration System records the number of long service separation allowance days to which members of the armed forces are entitled.

Kevan Jones: The number of longer separation allowance days paid is recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration System.
	There is no maximum entitlement to longer separation allowance. It is an allowance paid for separation from the family or, if single, from the duty station over and above that accounted for within the X factor element of basic pay.

Armed Forces: Allowances

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances a day's service on operations, recorded for the purposes of calculating a Longer Service Separation Allowance payment for an individual member of the armed forces, could not be used to calculate whether the same individual was in breach of harmony guidelines.

Kevan Jones: Activities that cause service personnel to be separated from their home base are as numerous as they are diverse. For this reason the joint personnel administration (JPA) records separated service through 16 separate activity codes that cover all aspects of individual training, collective training, pre-deployment training, courses and operations. Every 24 hour period that a service person spends away from their home base is used in the calculation of harmony, including operations.

Armed Forces: North West

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the projected number is of battalion headquarters to be registered to the North West over the next two years;
	(2)  how many battalion headquarters were registered in the North West in each of the last three years.

Bob Ainsworth: From 2005 to 2006, four infantry battalion headquarters were based in the North West, comprising two regular and two Territorial Army battalion headquarters.
	In 2006, the two TA units combined. Since this time, three infantry battalion headquarters have been based in the North West, comprising two regular and one Territorial Army battalion headquarters. Between August 2007 and August 2008, one of these headquarters was temporarily relocated.
	There are no plans for the number of battalion headquarters in the region to change over the next two years. The following table summarises battalion headquarters locations in the North West.
	
		
			  Unit  Location  Remarks 
			 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh Dale Barracks, Chester Barracks unoccupied August 2007-August 2008 during Future Army Structures implementation 
			 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment Weeton Barracks, Preston Replaced 2nd Battalion The Rifles in August 2007 
			 4th Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment Kimberley Barracks, Preston Formed of Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers and Kings and Cheshire Regiment (Based at Kimberley Barracks and Peninsula Barracks, Warrington respectively)

Defence Storage and Distribution Agency

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Pre Budget Report 2008, page 119, what the meaning is of the phrase examining alternative business models in respect of the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: Detailed Terms of Reference for the studies on individual assets are still being prepared. In the case of the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency (DSDA) these might provide for the organisation to offer new related products and services; to identify new sources of revenue; to consolidate with other elements in the defence supply chain or to identify alternative ways of providing DSDA services.

Falkland Islands: Air Routes

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the affordability of the proposed pricing scheme for the Falkland Islands Airbridge under the provisions of the Joint Policy Statement agreed between his Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the socio-economic impact on the Falkland Islands of the proposed pricing scheme for the Falkland Islands Airbridge under the provisions of the Joint Policy Statement agreed between his Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the withdrawal of the child/student fare from the Falkland Islands Airbridge agreement on the ability of Falkland Islands family members to travel between the Falkland Islands and the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will reinstate the child/student fare to the Falkland Islands Airbridge pricing scheme under the provisions of the Joint Policy Statement agreed between his Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office;
	(5)  what representations his Department has received on the proposed pricing scheme for the Falkland Islands Airbridge under the provisions of the Joint Policy Statement agreed between his Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office;
	(6)  what consultations were carried out by his Department on the proposed pricing scheme for the Falkland Islands Airbridge under the provisions of the Joint Policy Statement agreed between his Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  if he will reduce the prices under the proposed pricing scheme for the Falkland Islands Airbridge under the provisions of the Joint Policy Statement agreed between his Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The existing Joint Policy Statement governing the South Atlantic Airbridge dates from 1992 and is based on the previous service provided by Royal Air Force TriStar aircraft. The introduction of a civilian charter service clearly required a revision to this statement, and this is being currently discussed between the MOD and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It would be premature to comment on any of the detail of this revised statement until these discussions have been completed.

Harrier Aircraft: Manpower

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Harrier pilots were deployed on Operation Herrick in each month since the deployment began.

Bob Ainsworth: Information on the exact number of Harrier pilots deployed on Operation Herrick in each month since the deployment began is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, prior to September 2006, around nine pilots at a time were deployed in theatre. Since September 2006 (when the number of Harrier aircraft deployed in theatre increased from six to eight), around 11 pilots at a time were deployed in theatre. These figures may have occasionally fluctuated for short periods.

Joint Force Harrier

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces currently serving with Joint Force Harrier have been in breach of harmony guidelines in each of the last three years, broken down by  (a) air crew and  (b) ground crew and (i) Royal Air Force and (ii) Royal Navy personnel.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1554W.

Joint Force Harrier

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces serving with Joint Force Harrier are not being administered by the Joint Personnel Administration System, broken down by trade.

Kevan Jones: All armed forces personnel, including those serving with the Joint Force Harrier, are administered by the joint personnel administration system.

Keep Our Future Afloat

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations his Department has received from the Keep Our Future Afloat campaign; and whether it has responded.

Quentin Davies: During the course of this year the Ministry of Defence has received several representations from the 'Keep Our Future Afloat Campaign'. All letters received a written reply. Additionally, my predecessor as Minister with responsibility for Defence Equipment and Support, my noble Friend Baroness Taylor of Bolton, met representatives of the group in July.

Stress

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many working days were lost by his Department due to stress-related illnesses in each of the last 24 months.

Kevan Jones: The MOD reports sickness absence figures over a 12 month period on a quarterly basis and does not report working days lost on a monthly basis. The MOD does not have a specific sickness absence code for stress. Stress falls within the mental and behavioural disorders ICD10 category, which includes anxiety, depression and stress. The following table shows the number of working days lost for Ministry of Defence civilian personnel(1 )which was attributed to the mental and behavioural disorders category for the 12 month period preceding each quarter point.
	
		
			  Total working days lost due to mental and behavioural disorders in the preceding 12 month period 
			  Year ending  Industrial  Non-industrial  Total 
			 30 June 2007 24,530 102,790 127,320 
			 30 September 2007 25,510 102,990 128,500 
			 31 December 2007 25,380 99,570 135,040 
			 31 March 2008 22,720 94,100 116,820 
			 30 June 2008 20,770 87,720 108,490 
			 (1) This includes all permanent and casual non-industrial and industrial civilian personnel, but excludes locally engaged civilian and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel for all periods and trading fund personnel prior to 1 January 2008.  Note: From 1 January 2008, due to a change in definition personnel classed as on zero pay absences are excluded.

Territorial Army: Pay

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much back pay was owing to Territorial Army soldiers who have undertaken active service in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan at the latest date for which figures are available; what steps are being taken to clear the backlog; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, there are no known systematic problems with any back pay owed to TA soldiers who have undertaken active service in Iraq or Afghanistan.
	Where isolated errors are notified by individuals, SPVA take immediate action to rectify the situation.

Trident Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the maintenance cost of Trident submarines in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) each of the next five years.

Quentin Davies: The estimated maintenance costs of Vanguard class submarines in 2008-09 and each of the next five years, which cover fleet maintenance and capital spend incurred as part of the long overhaul period (refuel) (LOP-R) maintenance programme, are:
	
		
			   Tota l ( million) 
			 2008-09 95 
			 2009-10 134 
			 2010-11 152 
			 2011-12 123 
			 2012-13 105 
			 2013-14 161

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what conclusions her Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Sadiq Khan: The conclusions the Department has reached to fulfil its disability equality duty are outlined in our Disability Equality Scheme Annual Report published in February 2008, which is available on our website at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/disabilityequalityscheme2008
	An update on progress on these actions will be published, as explained in that document, as part of our Department's Single Annual Report on Equalities. We intend to do this in spring 2009.
	The Secretary of State's report on Disability, published on 1 December, also reports on progress made towards disability equality by public authorities in our policy sectors. The report is available on our website at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/disabilityequality2008

Departmental Rail Travel

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what expense claims the right hon. Member for Don Valley made whilst Minister of State for Housing in each month from January to October 2008 in respect of rail journeys; how many rail tickets were claimed for; how many journeys were claimed for; and what the sum claimed was.

Sadiq Khan: My right hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) made one expense claim during the period January to October 2008. This was in June 2008, a single ticket for 178.

Empty Property: Business Premises

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of commercial premises that were empty in each month since May 1997.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1493W, to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather).

Fire Services

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of leasing and maintaining each regional fire control centre  (a) has been since becoming operational and  (b) was in the latest month for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: The running costs for the eight regional control centres (RCCs) which have completed their commissioning process'practical completion'are shown for October, broken down by region, in the following table:
	
		
			  Region  Running costs () 
			 NE 143,994 
			 EM 145,889 
			 SW 140,839 
			 WM 113,463 
			 SE 46,142 
			 NW 36,920 
			 Y and H 48,558 
			 EoE 84,617 
		
	
	These eight buildings are in the process of being fitted out, including installing the IT hardware, AV screens and furniture. Note, the range reflects the relative stages of completion. Therefore, no regional control centre is yet operational.
	In the interim the buildings are used for a range of purposes including Fire and Rescue Service meetings and workshops to progress FiReControl work. In many cases the regional project team works out of the RCC.

Fire Services

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects the replacement system for the fire service emergency cover risk management system to be  (a) installed and  (b) fully operational.

Sadiq Khan: Under Fire Control, the risk management toolkit will replace the fire service emergency cover toolkit and will be rolled out prior to the point at which there is an FRS cut-over.

Fires: Death

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information she holds on the number of deaths caused by fire in  (a) houses of multiple occupation,  (b) the private rented sector,  (c) the council/social rented sector and  (d) private houses in each year for which figures are available.

Sadiq Khan: The Department holds data for the UK on the number of deaths caused by fire, including by type of accommodation, and whether it was a multiple occupancy dwelling. Data are not collected by type of tenure. Comparable data are available since 1994. Data for England are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Fire deaths in England, 1994 to 2007 
			Multiple occupancy dwellings 
			   All dwellings  All  Houses  Flats, maisonettes, etc.  Unspecified 
			 1994 376 119 7 81 31 
			 1995 428 143 13 80 50 
			 1996 428 145 8 86 51 
			 1997 432 144 18 86 40 
			 1998 383 140 14 94 32 
			 1999 334 116 9 89 18 
			 2000 351 112 11 73 28 
			 2001 358 120 9 82 29 
			 2002 310 110 6 83 21 
			 2003 344 118 9 84 25 
			 2004 268 91 7 68 16 
			 2005 289 103 8 74 21 
			 2006 287 82 9 52 21 
			 2007 (provisional) 240 74 5 59 10

Green Belt

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many acres of greenbelt land there were in each region in England in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: holding answer 8 December 2008
	 The area of green belt land in each region in England in each year since 1997 for which data have been collected is set out in the following table. The figures are in hectares.
	Figures after 2005 exclude 47,300 hectares of land that were re-designated as New Forest National Park. National Park status confers a higher status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty than green belt. The conservation of the natural beauty of the landscape and countryside should be given weight in planning decisions in these areas. Therefore figures for 2006 and 2007 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	
		
			  Area of designated green belt land by region 
			  Hectares 
			  Region  1997  2003  2004  2006  2007 
			 North East 53,040 66,330 71,910 71,910 73,000 
			 North West 249,490 260,610 260,590 260,310 260,300 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 276,720 262,640 262,640 264,930 264,450 
			 East Midlands 62,730 79,520 79,480 78,900 79,000 
			 West Midlands 273,900 269,140 269,460 269,260 268,770 
			 East Anglia 26,690 26,690 26,750 26,300 26,270 
			 London/wider South East 549,330 600,470 601,410 (1)553,890 (1)554,240 
			 South West 157,740 106,180 105,950 106,330 109,640 
			 England(1) 1,649,640 1,671,580 1,678,190 (1)1,631,830 (1)1,635,670 
			 (1) This figure excludes green belt in New Forest DC and Test Valley BC (47,300 hectares) which have subsequently been designated as New Forest National Park in 2005.  Note: 1 hectare = 2.471 acres.  Source: Communities and Local Government Statistical Releases: Green Belt Statistics, England

Ordnance Survey

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made in enabling data held by Ordnance Survey in vector format to be used by other parties, including on a commercial basis.

Iain Wright: holding answer 8 December 2008
	The HM Treasury/Shareholder Executive assessment of trading funds has considered the potential for innovation and growth from increasing commercial and other use of public sector information including Ordnance Survey vector data. It will shortly publish some key principles for the re-use of this information, and consider how these should be applied to ensure that Government policy is fully reflected in practice.
	As part of the assessment, Ordnance Survey is in the process of undertaking a strategic review of its operations and underlying business model. The aim is for Ordnance Survey data (including vector data) to be made more freely available for exploitation for the benefit of the wider UK economy. Further details will be announced in due course.
	In the meantime Ordnance Survey will continue to enable users of all types to access a wide range of vector datasets through its normal licensing arrangements.

Ordnance Survey

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what income Ordnance Survey received from each local authority in England and Wales in 2007; and what percentage of Ordnance Survey's income in that year was accounted for by work for local authorities.

Iain Wright: holding answer 8 December 2008
	For reasons of commercial confidentiality income derived from each local authority is not published. However, Ordnance Survey's total direct revenue from the local government sector (including fire and police services, national park authorities and other sector bodies) in England, Scotland and Wales for the year ended 31 March 2008, was 21.26 million. This represented 18 per cent. of Ordnance Survey's total turnover. A significant proportion of local government income came from the local authority Mapping Services Agreement (MSA), a collective purchasing agreement competitively tendered by Local Government Information House Ltd. (LGIH) on behalf of local government. Apportionment of the single charge for each data lot in the MSA tender to individual local authorities is determined by LGIH.
	Since the MSA is currently subject to an active re-tendering process, release of further detailed information about the value contributed by individual local authorities could be prejudicial to the conduct of the tender process.

Regeneration: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1276W, on regeneration: coastal areas, whether her cross-departmental working group on coastal towns held discussions with hon. Members whose constituencies include seaside towns.

John Healey: No discussions have taken place so far, but the cross-departmental working group on coastal towns would be keen to hear from hon. Members whose knowledge and expertise could help to better inform action on improving outcomes in coastal towns.

Regeneration: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1276W, on regeneration: coastal areas, whether hon. Members whose constituencies include seaside towns were consulted in connection with the regeneration framework consultation.

John Healey: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, made a written statement to the House on 17 July 2008 before she published 'Transforming Places; changing lives: a framework for regeneration'. A copy of the consultation document was made available in the Library. The document was also sent to all local authority chief executives in England.

Regional Planning and Development: South West

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assumptions were made about levels of  (a) activity in the housing market and  (b) employment when drawing up the South West Spatial Strategy; and if she will assess the effects of the (i) economic downturn and (ii) turbulence in the banking sector on the strategy.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 9 December 2008
	 The regional spatial strategy focuses on the long-terma strategy to deliver sustainable development in the region over the next 15-20 yearsto provide long term supply of housing needed to meet the demand for new homes and to address the long term shortages which affect affordability. Despite the current economic climate the medium- to long-term need for housing in the South West remains high.
	In proposing changes to the overall housing provision, the Secretary of State had regard, among other things, to: the independent examining panel's recommendations; the Housing Green Paper Homes for the Future: More Affordable, More Sustainable; further advice from the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit; ONS Household Projections; and assessments of economic growth potential. The full reasons for the proposed changes to the overall housing provision are set out in the schedule of the Secretary of State's Proposed Changes and Reasons, published in July 2008. The Secretary of State is currently considering responses to the consultation on the proposed changes.

Rents

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of rent for a the average cost of commercial property in each month since May 1997; what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the removal of empty property tax relief on commercial property rents; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: An impact assessment detailing the impact of the empty property reforms was published by Communities and Local Government in May 2007 accompanying the introduction of the Rating (Empty Properties) Bill and a further assessment was laid before this House on the 26 February accompanying the Non-Domestic Rating (Unoccupied Property) (England) Regulations 2008Number: 386.

Right to Buy Scheme: Yorkshire and the Humber

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much local authority stock in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) Vale of York constituency was sold under the Right to Buy scheme in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of local authority Right to Buy sales in North Yorkshire and in the City of York, for each year since 1997-98. We have taken North Yorkshire to comprise the districts of Selby, Harrogate, Craven, Richmondshire, Hambleton, Ryedale, Scarborough and York. Information on Right to Buy sales by constituency is not available centrally, but as Vale of York constituency includes the City of York we have included sales figures for York as well.
	
		
			   North Yorkshire  City of York 
			 1997-98 471 152 
			 1998-99 401 (1)99 
			 1999-2000 688 (1)108 
			 2000-01 541 186 
			 2001-02 636 171 
			 2002-03 847 188 
			 2003-04 570 127 
			 2004-05 215 65 
			 2005-06 113 35 
			 2006-07 69 36 
			 2007-08 51 28 
			 (1) Data not reported for all four quarters of the financial year, therefore figure cannot be used for comparison over time or with other areas. The 1998-99 figure for the City of York is from three quarterly returns, the 1999-2000 figures from two quarterly returns.  Note: The figures shown for the City of York are as reported, and do not include estimates for missing returns. Figures for North Yorkshire include imputed figures for missing quarterly returns from any of the local authorities in North Yorkshire.  Source: Quarterly P1B returns from Local Authorities 
		
	
	Four of the North Yorkshire local districts have transferred their housing stock to registered social landlords, and consequently do not have any housing stock to sell through the Right to Buy scheme. Hambleton and Ryedale transferred their stock before 1997-98, Craven in March 2003, and Scarborough in December 2003.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Discrimination

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will place in the Library a copy of each response to the discrimination law review consultation.

Maria Eagle: We received over 4,000 responses to our consultation A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain, which were carefully considered. The Government's response to the consultation (Cm 7454) provides a summary of the responses and sets out the measures we intend to include in the Equality Bill. The response was published on 21 July 2008. A copy is available on the website of the Government Equalities Office at the following web address:
	http://www.equalities.gov.uk/publications/Government_Response_to_the_consultation.pdf.
	The responses to the consultation received from organisations have also been published on the GEO website.

Domestic Violence

Anne Moffat: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government is taking to reduce levels of domestic violence.

Maria Eagle: The Government have produced a cross-Government National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan which provides a strategic framework to address domestic violence. We have taken a range of action to reduce levels of domestic violence including establishing 104 Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs) and plan to reach 128 by 2011. We have provided over 6 million this financial year to support the roll-out of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences across England and Wales linked to these SDVCs. IDVAs provide invaluable support to victims of domestic violence. Evidence shows that incidents of victimisation decrease and victims are less likely to withdraw from cases.
	There has been significant progress in reducing the levels of domestic violence. There has been a 58 per cent. decline in the incidence of domestic violence between 1997 and 2007-08, as measured by the British Crime Survey. Further, the success rate on prosecuting domestic violence continues to improve. In December 2003 only 46 per cent. of domestic violence prosecutions resulted in conviction. By September 2008 this figure had increased to 72.1 per cent.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what date the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform last used a train in the course of his official duties.

Patrick McFadden: 4 December 2008. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Insolvency: Hotels

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate his Department has made of the number of  (a) hotels and  (b) bed and breakfast establishments that have declared themselves insolvent since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Statistics are only available for Hotels and only available from Q3 2007 on a consistent basis. The following table records the number of hotels that have entered into an insolvency procedure in each quarter since 2007 Q3 in England and Wales.
	
		
			   2007  2008 
			  Insolvency procedure  Q3  Q4  Q1  Q2  Q3 
			 Compulsory Liquidations 6 8 7 12 n/a 
			 Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation 10 8 3 11 13 
			 Receiverships 2 1 3 2 0 
			 Administration 0 4 8 5 2 
			 Company Voluntary Arrangements 0 0 1 3 1 
			 Bankruptcy Orders for self-employed individuals 7 11 14 6 n/a 
			  Notes: 1. The business activity of an insolvent company or small trader is classified according to Standard Industrial Classification 2003 (SIC2003). This does not separately identify bed and breakfast establishments, but it is likely that some of these will be included under Hotels and others under a different SIC Group. 2. There have been changes over recent years to the classification and extent of sectoral information collected and analysed. Consistent data are only readily available on a quarterly basis from 2007 Q3. 3. Companies may enter consecutively into more than one type of insolvency procedure. For example, an establishment may enter into Administration, but subsequently become the subject of a Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation. This means that counts should not be summed to a total number of company insolvencies in the sector. 4. Data for Compulsory Liquidations and for self-employed bankruptcies for 2008 Q3 are not yet available.

Insolvency: Leisure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many companies involved in the leisure industry went into  (a) compulsory and  (b) voluntary (i) administration and (ii) liquidation in each region of England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: There is insufficient, detailed information held centrally, and in a readily available format, to provide an answer to this question. This is because:
	(1) Corporate insolvency statistics are not currently available for Government office regions within England and Wales.
	(2) There is no consistent information on the industry sector of insolvent companies for the period requested.
	(3) Corporate insolvency information has more than one source, and there are differences between these in the information available for industry sectors.
	(4) The current standard industrial classification (SIC) does not enable the leisure industry to be readily defined.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 30 October 2008 and transferred to his Department on 4 November, on the Employment Bill.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 9 December 2008
	I responded to the hon. Member on 12 November.

Office of Fair Trading: Complaints

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions since June 2003 the Office of Fair Trading has not responded to a super complaint within 90 days.

Gareth Thomas: This is a matter for the independent Office of Fair Trading. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member directly.

Office of Fair Trading: Complaints

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how much and what proportion of the Office of Fair Trading's budget was spent on the investigation of super complaints in each of the last three years;
	(2)  which super complaints have been made to the Office of Fair Trading under section 11 of the Enterprise Act 2002 in each calendar year since June 2003; what estimate he has made of the cost of investigating each complaint in each such year; how long each investigation took; what the outcome of each investigation was; and what subsequent action was taken.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 9 December 2008
	 These are matters for the independent Office of Fair Trading. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member directly.

Office of Fair Trading: Research

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost to individual businesses of being involved in Office of Fair Trading market studies; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what percentage of the Office of Fair Trading's current workload is comprised of market studies; and what proportion of its budget was spent on such studies in the last 12 months;
	(3)  how many market studies of public sector activities have been undertaken by the Office of Fair Trading since 2003;
	(4)  how many market studies have been undertaken by the Office of Fair Trading since January 2003, broken down by market; what the cost was of each study; and what the outcomes were of each study.

Gareth Thomas: These are matters for the independent Office of Fair Trading. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member directly.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1149W, on trade unions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting of 26 June.

Patrick McFadden: It is not the practice of the Department to place the minutes of private meetings with business or other organisations in the House Libraries.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General what records her Office maintains of its expenditure on  (a) official hospitality and  (b) alcohol for official hospitality.

Vera Baird: The Attorney-General's Office records its expenditure on official hospitality on our accounts system and copies of relevant receipts and invoices are filed. Separate records are not kept for alcohol nor individual items.

Essex Crown Prosecution Service: Complaints

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General how many complaints have been made against Essex Crown Prosecution Service in each year since 1997.

Vera Baird: The number of complaints recorded by CPS Essex each year since 1998 is shown in the following table. Complete figures are not available for 1997. The figures shown represent all the letters of complaint received and replied to by CPS Essex. They do not indicate the outcome of the complaint, whether the CPS was at fault or whether the correspondence was forwarded to another appropriate agency to deal with.
	
		
			   CPS Prosecution Service( 1)  42 areas  CPS Essex 
			 1998-99 2,288 2,017 25 
			 1999-2000 2,565 2,168 41 
			 2000-01 2,840 2,431 53 
			 2001-02 2,990 2,274 90 
			 2002-03 3,093 2,172 73 
			 2003-04 3,949 2,190 105 
			 2004-05 3,739 2,481 105 
			 2005-06 4,616 3,178 72 
			 2006-07 4,166 2,505 109 
			 2007-08 4,555 2,252 87 
			 (1) Incl. Casework Directorate

Fraud: Elections

Francis Maude: To ask the Solicitor-General how many prosecutions sought by police for offences relating to electoral fraud were not proceeded with by the Crown Prosecution Service in the last 36 months.

Vera Baird: The records maintained by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) comprise information at defendant level rather than at specific offence level, and include no data identifying decisions not to proceed in cases of electoral fraud, either as regards the pre-charge decision phase or post-charge prosecutions. The information may be held on individual case files, but could only be retrieved by locating and examining every relevant file in each CPS office and would incur disproportionate cost.

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

Mark Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General whether the Law Officers have been asked for advice on the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 in the last two months.

Vera Baird: By long-standing convention, observed by successive Administrations and embodied in the Ministerial Code, the fact that the Law Officers have advised (or have not advised) on a particular issue, and the content of any advice, is not disclosed outside government.

Road Traffic Offences: Electronic Vehicles

Lembit �pik: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent discussions she has had with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on the prosecution of users of personal transporters on public highways; what guidance is used by the CPS on that matter; and how many such prosecutions have taken place.

Vera Baird: I have had no recent discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on the prosecution of users of personal transporters, also known as self balancing scooters, on public highways.
	However, I can confirm that the Department for Transport considers that powered personal transporters are subject to road traffic legislation and that the CPS has no specific guidance on prosecuting offences involving these vehicles.
	Were the police to refer a case involving the use of one of these vehicles to the CPS, the matter would be reviewed in the same way as any other road traffic prosecution.
	The CPS does not keep figures on the numbers of prosecutions that have been brought in relation to the use of these vehicles.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department took account of the effects of the Hyde Amendment restricting US federal funding of abortion in preparing the partial regulatory impact assessment on the Termination of Pregnancy Bill of Session 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Only legislation pertaining to the laws governing abortion in Great Britain was considered as part of the partial regulatory impact assessment on the Termination of Pregnancy Bill of Session 2006-07.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Public Health National Support Team on alcohol harm reduction has started its work.

Dawn Primarolo: The Alcohol Harm Reduction National Support Team commenced visiting areas with the highest rates of alcohol related hospital admissions in September 2008. Four visits have been completed.
	Visits are planned to 48 primary care trusts in total between 2008-09 and 2010-11.

Children in Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the health of children in care.

Ann Keen: The Department does not hold this information centrally.

Children: Disabled

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to improve the standard of assistance provided by the NHS to parents of disabled children.

Ann Keen: The service transformation programme 'Aiming High for disabled children' (AHDC) sets out clear expectations for improving choice, access and continuity of care, and seeks to place disabled children's services at the centre of local children's service provision. Supported by substantial new funding and measures designed to make the system work better, the AHDC programme aims to deliver access and empowerment for disabled children and families, responsive services and timely support, and improved service quality and capacity. The AHDC programme will provide assistance to parents through a variety of new initiativesfrom a full service 'core offer', to parents forums and new performance management arrangements that will hold local authorities and primary care trusts to account for the services they provide to families. By 2011, parents of disabled children and young people should be able to report a more favourable experience of these services.

Chlamydia: Screening

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been screened under the National Chlamydia Screening Programme.

Dawn Primarolo: During the period 1 April 2003, when the National Chlamydia Screening programme was launched, to the end of September 2008, the latest date for which figures are available, a total of 962,919 screens have been undertaken. The data are for the number of screens carried out not the number of people screened.

Community Care

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision by the NHS of choice between active patient care and care at home for those with long-term conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested is as follows.
	'Supporting people with long term conditions to Self CareA guide to developing local strategies and good practice' (24 February 2006) sets out four key areas in which people need support (skills and training, information, tools and devices and support networks) and gives examples of good practice together with the role of professionals and PCTs/Trusts in supporting people to self care.
	'Your Health, your waya guide to long-term conditions and self care' was launched on the NHS Choices website on 2 November 2008 and can be found at:
	http://www.nhs.uk/yourhealth/Pages/Homepage.aspx
	This is the public face of the aforementioned policy and provides people living with long term conditions with information about the choices that should be available to them locally (by April 2009 if they are not available already) to support them to self care in partnership with health and social care professionals.

Community Hospitals

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the  (a) locations,  (b) costs and  (c) planned opening date is of each hospital planned to be built under his Department's community hospitals programme;
	(2)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend in each of the next three financial years under the community hospitals programme;
	(3)  what the  (a) location,  (b) cost and  (c) date of opening of each hospital built to date under his Department's community hospitals programme is.

Ben Bradshaw: We have given the go ahead to 28 schemes, which are listed in the following table.
	We are currently giving consideration to the Department's capital programme budgets for 2009-10 and 2010-11, and in connection with this process, we will take into account which additional schemes are ready to progress and might be funded.
	
		
			  Hospital  Department of Health contribution ( million)  Total cost ( million)  Completion dateactual/projected 
			 Felixstowe Community Hospital 1.8 1.8 January 2008 
			 Ashfield Primary Care Centre, Nottingham 1.1 1.1 April 2008 
			 Rotherham Primary Care Centre 1.0 1.0 February 2009 
			 Hartlepool primary Care Centre 3.0 3.0 March 2009 
			 Royal South Hants Community Hospital 6.1 6.1 April 2009 
			 Washington Primary Care Centre 9.0 9.4 May 2009 
			 Hornsey Community Hospital 1.7 2.4 May/June 2009 
			 Gosport War Memorial Hospital 6.1 6.4 July 2009 
			 Keynsham Health Park, North Somerset 5.0 6.9 September 2009 
			 Teddington Community Hospital 4.0 4.5 September 2009 
			 Yate Community Hospital 5.0 12.4 November 2009 
			 St Charles Community Hospital, Kensington 3.7 8.8 March 2010 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees Hospitals (Calderdale Royal, Holme Valley Memorial, Central Halifax and Princess Royal Hospitals) 13.8 29.2 From March 2010 to November 20011 
			 Barking Community Hospital 5.0 8.2 April 2010 
			 Station Plaza Community Health Centre, Hastings 12.3 15.5 Spring 2010 
			 South Bristol Community Hospital 3.9 30 August 2010 
			 Moreton and Bourton Community Hospitals, North Cotswolds 13.2 15.8 Autumn 2010 
			 Malvern Community Hospital 19.2 19.2 September 2010 
			 Minehead Community Hospital 24.5 26 November 2010 
			 Eltham and Mottingham Community Hospital 4.6 14.6 January 2011 
			 Thame Community Hospital 4.0 5.1 Early 2011 
			 Dursley (Gloucestershire) Health and Social Care Campus 6.4 7.9 April 2011 
			 Selby Primary  Community Care Centre 13.0 15.6 Summer 2011 
			 Stockport (St Thomas') Community Hospital 20.1 29.5 Summer 2011 
			 East Riding (Beverley, Hornsea and Driffield Community Hospitals) 20.0 26.0 From November 2011 
			 King's Avenue (Ashford) Community Hospital 9.0 13.1 Autumn 2011 
			 Finchley Memorial Hospital 9.9 48.7 March 2012 
			 St Mary's Community Hospital, Portsmouth 17.1 17.1 Spring 2012 
			 
			 Total 243.4 385.2  
		
	
	Figures may not tally with total due to rounding.

Departmental Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's workforce planning assumptions used to inform the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Ben Bradshaw: We do not publish planning assumptions relating to the comprehensive spending review.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what records his Department maintains of its expenditure on  (a) official hospitality and  (b) alcohol for official hospitality.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's central financial recording system captures information on expenditure under the headings of 'working lunches' and 'hospitality'. No separate records of expenditure on alcohol are maintained.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on cancelled private finance initiative projects since 1997; what the project was in each case; and on what date each such project was cancelled.

Ben Bradshaw: Since 1997 the Department has agreed compensation payments in respect of abortive bidding costs at two private finance initiative (PFI) schemes, either as a direct result of a cancellation or at a scheme which later went on to be cancelled. Details of the payments are:
	7.3 million in respect of the Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust PFI scheme cancelled in June 2006; the Department paid the full amount directly to the bidders in March 2007; and
	9.1 million in respect of abortive costs resulting from the decision of the Department's PFI review in August 2006 to reduce the scope of the University of Leicester Hospitals NHS Trust scheme. 80 per cent. of the settlement7.2 millionwas met by the Department and paid to the trust for disbursement via an adjustment to the local primary care trusts (PCTs) revenue allocations in May 2007. The trust contributed 2.1 million. The scheme was subsequently cancelled in July 2007.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the capital value is of each private finance initiative scheme overseen by his Department which has reached financial close; and, for each such scheme,  (a) over what period repayments will take place and  (b) what the cost of repayment will be expressed in (i) real and (ii) cash terms.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Public Consultation

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on national consultations in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not hold information centrally about the costs of public consultations. Information on the Department's expenditure on public consultations can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which staff members attended his Department's departmental board away day held on 11 and 12 September 2008; and how much was claimed in total in expenses relating to the away day by such staff.

Ben Bradshaw: The following departmental staff attended the departmental board away day on 11 and 12 September 2008:
	Hugh Taylor (Permanent Secretary)
	David Nicholson (NHS Chief Executive)
	Liam Donaldson (Chief Medical Officer)
	David Behan (Director General Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships)
	Richard Douglas (Director General for Finance and Chief Operating Officer)
	Richard Mundon (Director of Operations)
	Ralph Coulbeck (Policy Adviser, Office of NHS Chief Executive)
	Alison Ismail (Principal Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary)
	Stephen Mitchell (Head of Governance).
	The total amount of expenses claimed by those who attended the away day was 626.20. This includes train fares to and from the hotel.

Departmental Training

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where his Department's departmental board away day which took place on 11 and 12 September 2008 was held.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's departmental board away day held on 11 and 12 September 2008 was held at Great Fosters hotel, Stroude road, Egham, Surrey TW20 9UR.

Departmental Training

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of the  (a) agenda and  (b) minutes of his Department's departmental board away day held on 11 and 12 September 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: No formal minutes were produced of the departmental board away day, held on 11 and 12 September. An informal note was produced, and this, with the agenda, has been placed in the Library.

Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients on the diabetes register there were in each primary care trust area in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The national Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) records the number of people recorded on practice diabetes registers, and counts are available for the years 2005-06 to 2007-08. The figures are available by primary care trust (PCT). The diabetes register only includes patients aged 17 years and over, as the care of children with diabetes is generally under the control of specialists.
	2007-08 data are contained in 'PCT level QOF tables', which has been placed in the Library. It is also available at the following link:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/supporting-information/audits-and-performance/the-quality-and-outcomes-framework/qof-2007/08/data-tables
	The table in question can be found in the section 'PCT level QOF tables' at this link: 'PCT level QOF tables 2007/08prevalence.xls'.
	2006-07 data are contained in 'PCT QOF tables', which has been placed in the Library. It is also available at the following link:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/supporting-information/audits-and-performance/the-quality-and-outcomes-framework/qof-2006/07/qof-2006-07-data-tables
	The table in question can be found in the section 'PCT QOF tables' at this link: 'PCT QOF tables 2006-07prevalance.xls'.
	2005-06 data are contained in 'Disease prevalence at PCT level', which has been placed in the Library. It is also available at the following link:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/supporting-information/audits-and-performance/the-quality-and-outcomes-framework/qof-2005/06/qof-2005-06-detailed-spreadsheets
	The table in question can be found in the section 'QOF Achievement Data at General Practice Level' at this link: 'Disease prevalence at PCT level'.

Diabetes

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) England with (i) type one diabetes and (ii) type two diabetes in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) records the number of people recorded on general practice diabetes registers in England. As the care of children with diabetes is generally under the control of specialists, the register excludes those patients age 16 and under.
	The following table shows the number of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes recorded on diabetes registers from 2004-05 to 2007-08, for the years for which data are available.
	
		
			  Quality and outcomes framework (QOF) diabetes register counts( 1) 
			  Financial year  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT(2) 22,777 24,346 25,682 27,329 
			 England 1,766,391 1,890,666 1,961,976 2,088,335 
			 (1 )The diabetes registers make no distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. (2 )The figures for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are the sum of the diabetes registers for the health areas that make up the North Yorkshire area, the details of which are given as follows:  Craven, Harrogate and Rural District;  Hambleton and Richmondshire;  Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale; and  Selby and York.

Diabetes: Health Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the three pilots undertaken as part of the Diabetes Year of Care Project.

Ann Keen: The three Year of Care pilot areas, Calderdale and Kirklees primary care trusts (PCTs), Tower Hamlets PCT and NHS North of Tyne, have now completed the first phase of the three-year project, which has focused on preparing systems and workforce to enable the delivery of the Year of Care approach. The pilots are now beginning to deliver the Year of Care programme to people with diabetes in their area.
	In October 2008 the Year of Care team launched Getting to grips with the Year of Care: a practical guide to help spread the learning acquired during the preparatory phase. An evaluation report, Evaluating pilot sites as they prepare for the Year of Care: Final project report, is also available. This document has been placed in the Library.

Drugs: Misuse

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people residing in London are estimated to have used  (a) Class A drugs and  (b) any illegal drugs in the last year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: According to the 2007-08 British Crime Survey (BCS), 3.7 per cent. of the population aged 16-59 years of age in London reported use of any Class A drug in the last year and 9.2 per cent. reported use of any illicit drug in the last year. It is not possible to provide robust estimates of the number of 16 to 59-year-olds who have taken drugs in London from the BCS.

Drugs: Misuse

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drugs-related hospital admissions were recorded in London in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is in the following table. The system of diagnostic codes used to classify admission to hospital does not distinguish between recreational, illicit misuse or medical use of drugs. The diagnostic codes used are listed in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of total admissions 
			 2006-07 25,782 
			 2005-06 25,148 
			 2004-05 21,938 
			 2003-04 18,810 
			 2002-03 16,069 
			  Notes: 1. Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. The ICD-10 codes used to identify a drug related diagnosis are as follows. It is not possible to identify in ICD-10 all diseases caused by drugs (legal or illegal) and there is no way to guarantee, that the admission was drug related. For example, a patient admitted for inguinal hernia surgery may also be dependent on a drug. F11Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of opioids F12Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids F13Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of sedatives or hypnotics F14Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cocaine F15Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of other stimulants, including caffeine F16Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of hallucinogens F18Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of volatile solvents F19Mental and behavioural disorders due to multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substances F55Abuse of non-dependence-producing substances K71.0Toxic liver disease with cholestasis K71.1Toxic liver disease with hepatic necrosis K71.2Toxic liver disease with acute hepatitis K71.3Toxic liver disease with chronic persistent hepatitis K71.4Toxic liver disease with chronic lobular hepatitis K71.5Toxic liver disease with chronic active hepatitis K71.6Toxic liver disease with hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K71.7Toxic liver disease with fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver K71.8Toxic liver disease with other disorders of liver K71.9Toxic liver disease, unspecified T36Poisoning by systemic antibiotics T37Poisoning by other systemic anti-infectives and antiparasitics 
			 T38Poisoning by hormones and their synthetic substitutes and antagonists, not elsewhere classified T39Poisoning by nonopioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics T40Poisoning by narcotics and psychodysleptics (hallucinogens) T41Poisoning by anaesthetics and therapeutic gases T42Poisoning by antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic and antiparkinsonism drugs T43Poisoning by psychotropic drugs, not elsewhere classified T44Poisoning by drugs primarily affecting the autonomic nervous system T45Poisoning by primarily systemic and haematological agents, not elsewhere classified T46Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the cardiovascular system T47Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the gastrointestinal system T48Poisoning by agents primarily acting on smooth and skeletal muscles and the respiratory system T49Poisoning by topical agents primarily affecting skin and mucous membrane and by ophthalmological, otorhinolaryngological and dental drugs T50Poisoning by diuretics and other and unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances T52Toxic effect of organic solvents T53Toxic effect of halogen derivatives of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons T54Toxic effect of corrosive substances T55Toxic effect of soaps and detergents T56Toxic effect of metals T57Toxic effect of other inorganic substances T58Toxic effect of carbon monoxide T59Toxic effect of other gases, fumes and vapours T60Toxic effect of pesticides T61Toxic effect of noxious substances eaten as seafood T62Toxic effect of other noxious substances eaten as food T63Toxic effect of contact with venomous animals T64Toxic effect of aflatoxin and other mycotoxin food contaminants T65Toxic effect of other and unspecified substances X40Accidental poisoning by and exposure to nonopioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics X41Accidental poisoning by and exposure to antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic, antiparkinsonism and psychotropic drugs, not elsewhere classified X42Accidental poisoning by and exposure to narcotics and psychodysleptics (hallucinogens), not elsewhere classified X43Accidental poisoning by and exposure to other drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system X44Accidental poisoning by and exposure to other and unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances X46Accidental poisoning by and exposure to organic solvents and halogenated hydrocarbons and their vapours X47Accidental poisoning by and exposure to other gases and vapours X48Accidental poisoning by and exposure to pesticides X49Accidental poisoning by and exposure to other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances X60Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to nonopioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics X61Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic, antiparkinsonism and psychotropic drugs, not elsewhere classified X62Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to narcotics and psychodysleptics (hallucinogens), not elsewhere classified X63Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system X64Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other and unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances X66Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to organic solvents and halogenated hydrocarbons and their vapours X67Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other gases and vapours X68Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to pesticides X69Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances Y40Systemic antibiotics Y41Other systemic anti-infectives and antiparasitics Y42Hormones and their synthetic substitutes and antagonists, not elsewhere classified Y43Primarily systemic agents Y44Agents primarily affecting blood constituents Y45Analgesics, antipyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs Y46Antiepileptic and antiparkinsonism drugs Y47Sedatives, hypnotics and antianxiety drugs Y48Anaesthetics and therapeutic gases Y49Psychotropic drugs, not elsewhere classified Y50Central nervous system stimulants, not elsewhere classified Y51Drugs primarily affecting the autonomic nervous system Y52Agents primarily affecting the cardiovascular system Y53Agents primarily affecting the gastrointestinal system Y54Agents primarily affecting water-balance and mineral and uric acid metabolism Y55Agents primarily acting on smooth and skeletal muscles and the respiratory system Y56Topical agents primarily affecting skin and mucous membrane and ophthalmological, otorhinolaryngological and dental drugs Y57Other and unspecified drugs and medicaments Y58Bacterial vaccines Y59Other and specified vaccines and biological substances T80.0Air embolism following infusion, transfusion and therapeutic injection 
			 T80.1Vascular complications following infusion, transfusion and therapeutic injection T80.2Infections following infusion, transfusion and therapeutic injection T80.8Other complications following infusion, transfusion and therapeutic injection T80.9Unspecified complication following infusion, transfusion and therapeutic injection T88.0Infection following immunisation T88.1Other complications following immunisation, not elsewhere classified T88.2Shock due to anaesthesia T88.3Malignant hyperthermia due to anaesthesia T88.5Other complications of anaesthesia T88.6Anaphylactic shock due to adverse effect of correct drug or medicament properly administered T88.7Unspecified adverse effect of drug or medicament Z71.5Drug abuse counselling and surveillance T96.XSequelae of poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances 3. London Strategic Health Authority of Treatment: In 2006-07 London as a whole was a strategic health authority (SHA). Pre 2006-07 London was made up of five SHAs. 2006-07: London SHA Pre 2006-07: North West London; North Central London; North East London; South East London; South West London 4. Ungrossed Data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

East Riding of Yorkshire PCT

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on changing the name of the East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust to NHS East Riding of Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally.

General Practitioners

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of GP practices in each of the regions had at least 50 per cent. of their patients living three or more miles away in the last year.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not hold this information centrally.

General Practitioners

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of GP practices in each of the regions was single-handed in each of the last two years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

General Practitioners

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average practice list size was for  (a) GPs and  (b) dentists in each region in each of the last two years.

Ben Bradshaw: The average general practice list size, by strategic health authority (SHA), as at 30 September 2007 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Average general practice list size by SHA as at 30 September 2007 
			   Total number of general practitioners practices  Average practice list size 
			 North East 394 6,681 
			 North West 1,272 5,679 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 807 6,603 
			 East Midlands 627 7,134 
			 West Midlands 965 5,890 
			 East of England 769 7,417 
			 London 1,546 5,441 
			 South East Coast 644 6,918 
			 South Central 503 8,363 
			 South West 734 7,252 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics 
		
	
	The Department does not collect these data for the Northern Ireland regions.
	List size data for dental practices are not held centrally.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to page 113 of the 2008 Pre-Budget Report, Cm 7484, what the location is of each GP surgery to be upgraded into a training practice;
	(2)  with reference to page 113 of the 2008 Pre-Budget Report, Cm 7484, how the 100 million for upgrading GP surgeries to training practices will be allocated.

Ben Bradshaw: These are early days and quite rightly no full and final decisions have been made yet. The decisions need to be made with the full involvement of all parties concerned, and we will ensure that this happens, so that we achieve the maximum benefits and direct investment to address health inequalities.

Genetics

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 17 new trials approved by the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee were in 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: The Gene Therapy Advisory Committee (GTAC) approved 17 new trials over its last annual reporting period of January to December 2007. Four of these trials were in cancer research, nine were addressing infectious diseases, two were potential treatments for cardiovascular diseases and two were studies of inherited disorders. Further details on these trials are in the Fourteenth Annual Report of GTAC, which has been placed in the Library. Details of trials approved by GTAC in 2008 will be included in its next annual report, due for publication in 2009.

Headaches

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of the working population who suffer from migraine or other headache disorders;
	(2)  if he will estimate the number of people in employment who experience migraine or other headache disorders.

Ann Keen: We have no estimates, or plans to make such estimates, of the proportion of the working population living with migraine or headache disorders.

Headaches

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist headache disorder nurses there are in England; and in which hospitals or health centres they are based.

Ann Keen: Nursing staff working for the national health service who specialise in treating or diagnosing headaches are not identified in the NHS Workforce Census. There are a variety of causes of headache and if a cause can be identified then the care of the patient will follow the appropriate clinical pathway.
	In April 2003 the College of General Practitioners and the Department of Health issued joint guidance Guidelines for the Appointment of General Practitioners With Special Interests in the Delivery of Clinical ServiceHeadaches. This guidance has already been placed in the Library.

Health Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1046W, on health centres, what steps are being taken against primary care trusts whose plans for  (a) a new GP-led health centre and  (b) new GP practices do not meet core criteria;
	(2)  for each primary care trust whose plans for a new  (a) GP-led health centre and  (b) GP practice do not meet core criteria, what the reasons are for this being the case.

Ben Bradshaw: Strategic health authorities have provided assurances via performance management discussions with the Department that none of the General Practitioner (GP)-led health centres or GP practices will not meet the core national criteria aimed at improving patient care and access to services.

Health Professions: Vetting

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether care providers are informed when Criminal Records Bureau checks on their prospective employees are discovered not to have been correctly carried out; what estimate he has made of the number of such checks; and if he will provide compensation to care providers for such cases.

Meg Hillier: I have been asked to reply.
	All the quality control procedures at the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) are geared to achieving the highest levels of accuracy. In addition, the CRB carries out a post disclosure accuracy check that analyses all aspects of the disclosure application and its issue. This check was introduced in 2007 and is based on a statistical sample of disclosure applications and from that sample it can be ascertained that the accuracy rate for 2006-07 is 99.94 per cent. and for 2007-08 is 99.98 per cent. No comparative data are available before these dates and the CRB does not collate information by specific employment sectors, such as the care sector or providers.
	If, as a result of this additional check, the CRB needs to correct a disclosure, it does so free of charge to the employer and the applicant.
	As with any public sector organisation, the CRB operates a Redress Scheme where there has been evidence of maladministration on its part.

Health Services: Ethnic Groups

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made in responding to the recommendations contained in the report of the group chaired by Professor Mayur Lakhani on primary care for black and minority ethnic people; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: As part of the GP Access Programme, the Department has sought to engage primary care trusts and general practitioner (GP) practices in improving access for people with the poorest experience such as patients from black and minority ethnic groups. In 2008, the national GP Patient survey showed that patients from a black and minority ethnic group had seen the biggest improvement in their experience of accessing GPs with whom they are registered. Nevertheless, more needs, and can be, done to improve access for such patients. We are continuing to work with strategic health authorities to collate and share the best practice that exists within the national health service in order to support implementation of Professor Mayur Lakhani's recommendations. We expect to see continued improvements in patient experience and satisfaction with the access they receive to general practices as reported through the national GP Patient Survey.

Health: Disadvantaged

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of progress towards the public service agreement target to reduce health inequalities by 10 per cent. by 2010.

Dawn Primarolo: The national health inequalities Public Service Agreement target aims to reduce inequalities in health by 10 per cent. by 2010, as measured by infant mortality (by socio-economic group) and life expectancy at birth (by geographical area).
	The latest assessment, based on 2005 to 2007 data, shows that:
	For infant mortality, there has been a slight narrowing in the gap between the routine and manual group and the population as a whole, compared with last year. The target to narrow this gap by at least 10 per cent. by 2010 is still a challenging one, but if the gap continues to narrow at the rate observed since 2002 to 2004, the infant mortality element of the target will be met.
	For life expectancy, the relative gap in life expectancy between Spearhead areas (the areas with the worst health and deprivation indicators) and the England average has increased for both males and females since the 1995 to 1997 baseline. The target therefore remains challenging.
	A detailed assessment of progress towards the target is contained in Tackling Health Inequalities: 2005 to 2007 Policy and Data Update for the 2010 National Target which has been placed in the Library. This document was published on the Department's website on 4 December 2008 at:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_091414.

Health: Screening

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the NHS mid-life life check scheme has commenced.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has been working with partners including health and social care professionals, academic researchers and experts and end-users to develop national health service LifeCheck for three key stages in people's lives:
	Early Years LifeCheckfor people with babies under one-year-old;
	Teen LifeCheckfor young people about 11 to 15-years-old; and
	Mid-life LifeCheckfor the 45-60 age group.
	The NHS Mid-life LifeCheck is expected to commence piloting in early 2009. The pilots will be independently evaluated and subject to the findings, the tool will be revised and rolled out nationally later in 2009.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the multi-site project undertaken by his Department in collaboration with the British Heart Foundation and the British Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation to consider costs and reimbursement through the payment by results system for cardiac rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Payment by Results development site project being led by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the British Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation (BACR) is making good progress in examining the basis on which cardiac rehabilitation services should be funded.
	Progress to date includes helping to define what constitutes 'best practice' cardiac rehabilitation services, identifying options for the coding of cardiac rehabilitation activity, and collecting cost and activity data from a number of sites over a four-month period.
	Further data collection and evaluation is needed before a decision can be made on a timescale for implementing any currency or tariff for cardiac rehabilitation services. In taking that decision, the Department will be guided by the expert opinion of those involved in the development site project.

Helmets: Children

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received in respect of Bolton Primary Care Trust's policy on the prescribing of cranial helmets for children; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department has received one item of correspondence regarding Bolton primary care trust's (PCT) policy on prescribing cranial helmets from the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen in October 2008.

HIV Infection

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which voluntary organisations have received funding from his Department for work to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has funded the following voluntary organisations for work to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination: the National AIDS Trust, the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health and NAM Publications (formerly the National AIDS Manual). Additionally, the Department has provided additional funding to the Terrence Higgins Trust and the African HIV Policy Network to include work on HIV-related stigma in the Department's programme of HIV health promotion for gay men and African communities.

Hospital Wards

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of closed hospital wards which have been re-opened in the last three months.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not held centrally.

Hospitals: Closures

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have been closed in  (a) the East of England, South Central, South East Coast and South West strategic health authorities and  (b) the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber strategic health authorities in each year since 2006.

Ann Keen: Information on hospital closures is not held centrally. It is for national health service organisations to decide locally what constitutes the best configuration of healthcare services and facilities for their populations, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision his Department has made to assist all hospitals in setting up dedicated isolation wards for patients who carry infections.

Ann Keen: The Department provides guidance on isolation practice but decisions on the provision of isolation facilities are made locally. However, isolation facilities do not have to be designated solely for this purpose and additional isolation facilities can be created to meet transitory demand by using general beds.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the estimated period of protection against cervical cancer afforded by the Cervarix vaccine.

Dawn Primarolo: The role of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is to advise the Secretary of State for Health and Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Ministers on matters relating to communicable diseases, preventable and potentially preventable through immunisation.
	JCVI considered vaccine efficacy data for the Human Papilloma virus vaccines, presented from published papers and as provided by the manufacturers.
	At the time of writing the statement (published 18 July 2008) JCVI concluded that both vaccines have a good safety record, and they are highly effective in protecting against the precursors of cervical cancer. Individuals who received the vaccines have been followed for at least six years in clinical trials so far, and the level of antibodies remains at a high level. Based on these high levels, the opinion of the JCVI was that the duration of immunity is expected to be at least 10 years.
	A copy of the JCVI statement on Human Papilloma virus vaccines to protect against cervical cancer has been placed in the Library.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many females between the ages of  (a) 11 to 14,  (b) 15 to 17 and  (c) 18 to 21 years old his Department estimates will be vaccinated with Cervarix in England in the next 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The routine Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme is ongoing and is available to 12 to 13-year-old girls. The routine HPV vaccination programme coincides with the school year and runs from September to September. A three year catch up campaign also commenced in September 08 and will make the HPV vaccine available for 13 to 18-year-olds. Girls aged 17-18 will be offered the HPV vaccine in the 2008-09 school year, girls aged 16-18 in the 2009-10 school year and girls aged 15-17 in the 2010-11 school year.
	The Department estimated that there are approximately 300,000 girls in each age cohort in England and primary care trusts should be offering the vaccine to all of these girls.
	Women over the age of 18 are not eligible for the HPV vaccine under the national programme. The Department has made no estimate of the number of women of this age who may be vaccinated with Cervarix. Doctors may prescribe the HPV vaccine to women over the age of 18 in exceptional clinical circumstances. HPV vaccines are also available privately.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on procurement and distribution of the Cervarix vaccine.

Dawn Primarolo: The only cost associated with the procurement of the Cervarix vaccine was for legal advice on the development of the tender documents. This amount was 52,934.59. The individual cost of the vaccine and the total cost to Government is commercial-in-confidence.
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) were provided with funding to implement the national programme. A list of allocations per PCT is available from the following web link, which has also been placed in the Library.
	www.immunisation.nhs.uk/publications/HPV_DSletter190608.pdf
	The Department has a five year storage and distribution contract with Movianto UK. The Human Papillomavirus vaccine is distributed as part of the current distribution arrangements under this contract.

Infectious Diseases

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nosocomial cases of small round-structured viruses there were in each strategic health authority area in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available. The best data are from the Health Protection Agency's (HPA) voluntary reporting system for outbreaks. This is not comprehensive but identifies where hospital outbreaks occur and the cases associated with these. Data for the last five years are shown in the following table by HPA region.
	
		
			  Number of people affected in reported hospital outbreaks of norovirus (small round-structured viruses) by HPA region 2004 to 2008 
			  Region  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Grand total 
			 East Midlands 55 26 10 9  100 
			 East of England 703 435 390 229 32 1,789 
			 London 249 176 74 34  533 
			 North East 216 84  50  350 
			 North West 631 82713 
			 South East 370 225 7   602 
			 South West 1,252 228 215 144 25 1,864 
			 West Midlands 21   33  54 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 126 121 23   270 
			 Grand total 3,623 1,377 719 499 57 6,275 
			  Note:  The number of laboratory reports received underestimates the true number of affected individuals as specimens are not taken from everyone affected during outbreaks of norovirus (clinical diagnoses are often made once it is known that the virus is in circulation).  Source:  Health Protection Agency

Kidney Patients: Children

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children with kidney problems resident in Essex are currently receiving treatment and dialysis at  (a) Great Ormond Street and  (b) Evalina at Guy's and St. Thomas's.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Maternity Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress the Child Health and Maternal Health Intelligence Unit has made towards its objectives; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Child Health and Maternal Health Intelligence Unit was set up as a pilot in May 2008. It has been working well with all strategic health authorities, with primary care trusts and with the Association of Public Health Observatories, whose website it shares. The pilot ends in March 2009 and its future development is being reviewed.

Mental Health Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the guarantee of choice on the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence approved treatments as outlined in the NHS constitution will apply to mental health treatment guidelines.

Dawn Primarolo: The proposed NHS constitution right applies to all drugs and treatments that are recommended in technology appraisal guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and covered by the associated funding direction.

MRSA: Screening

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department has issued on the screening of patients for MRSA prior to admission into accident and emergency departments in England.

Ann Keen: The Department's Saving Lives guidance(1) gives general guidance on screening, referring specifically to emergency orthopaedic and trauma admissions. The guidance issued covering elective patient MRSA screening(2) also includes information relevant to emergency patient screening. Both guidelines have been placed in the Library.
	We currently require all relevant elective admissions to be screened for MRSA by April 2009, and all emergency admissions by April 2011. Further guidance will be issued as necessary.
	(1) Department of Health (2007). Saving Lives: Reducing infection, delivering clean and safe care. Screening for meticillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonisation.
	(2) http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersand circulars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_086687

NHS: Buildings

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the risk-adjusted backlog maintenance cost for the NHS in  (a) England and  (b) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the maintenance backlog to reach estate code condition B was in  (a) England and  (b) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is shown in the following tables.
	NHS Estates collects data on backlog maintenance annually from national health service trusts through its Estates Return Information Collection (ERIC). It has not been amended centrally and responsibility for its accuracy lies with the contributing NHS organisations. Risk adjusted backlog maintenance was introduced in 2004-05 and therefore not collected prior to that year.
	The 28 strategic health authorities were created in 2002-03 and re-organised in 2006-07 into 10. For backlog maintenance data relating to before 2002-03, the national totals have been provided.
	
		
			  National total  Total backlog maintenance  ( million) 
			 1997-98 2,836 
			 1998-99 3,027 
			 1999-2000 3,108 
			 2000-01 3,242 
			 2001-02 3,378 
			 2002-03 3,518 
			 2003-04 3,198 
			 2004-05 3,142 
			 2005-06 3,684 
			 2006-07 3,740 
			 2007-08 4,044 
		
	
	
		
			  National total  Risk adjusted backlog maintenance  ( million ) 
			 2004-05 1,342 
			 2005-06 1,744 
			 2006-07 1,542 
			 2007-08 1,854 
		
	
	
		
			   million 
			  Total backlog maintenance by the 28 strategic health authorities  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 177 91 128 130 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 94 82 136 138 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 244 262 286 360 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 153 75 53 69 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 62 29 57 63 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 97 64 58 58 
			 Dorset and Somerset 47 10 18 15 
			 Essex 82 76 93 77 
			 Greater Manchester 205 172 117 122 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 89 80 102 131 
			 Kent and Medway 106 114 109 151 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 109 118 100 95 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 99 87 63 78 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 72 79 85 93 
			 North Central London 172 189 135 241 
			 North East London 147 174 168 121 
			 North West London 221 344 266 456 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 81 70 76 74 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 98 100 94 90 
			 South East London 164 145 119 154 
			 South West London 161 154 176 204 
			 South West Peninsula 41 18 31 70 
			 South Yorkshire 69 46 49 67 
			 Surrey and Sussex 108 85 75 94 
			 Thames Valley 151 106 124 149 
			 Trent 148 151 146 106 
			 West Midlands South SHA 94 90 84 92 
			 West Yorkshire 224 188 193 185 
			 National total 3,518 3,198 3,142 3,684 
		
	
	
		
			   million 
			  Total backlog maintenance by the 10 strategic health authorities  2006-07  2007-08 
			 East Midlands 297 285 
			 East of England 290 363 
			 London 1,110 1,106 
			 North East 132 148 
			 North West 309 309 
			 South Central 276 307 
			 South East Coast 249 306 
			 South West 173 249 
			 West Midlands 519 553 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 383 418 
			 National total 3,740 4,044 
		
	
	
		
			   million 
			  Risk adjusted backlog maintenance by strategic health authority  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 East Midlands 92 118 65 154 
			 East of England 115 116 107 152 
			 London 346 535 451 489 
			 North East 60 73 58 69 
			 North West 86 108 111 96 
			 South Central 80 115 103 136 
			 South East Coast 121 139 140 159 
			 South West 88 116 76 129 
			 West Midlands 253 296 265 259 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 101 128 164 211 
			 National total 1,342 1,744 1,542 1,854

NHS: Buildings

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what work his Department is undertaking to enable NHS trusts to develop premises and sites which facilitate the provision of modern and accessible healthcare.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department recognises the important role, which facilities play in the delivery of modern high quality, accessible care, as envisioned by High Quality Care for All. To facilitate a streamlined and timely approach to facilities development, decision-making about the planning and development of all facilities is vested in local health organisations, who can consult and engage with their local communities on key issues to ensure that those facilities meet their specific needs.
	At a national level, the Department develops and publishes a suite of best practice guidance on health care facilities, which are made available free of charge to the national health service. It has also developed a range of products and initiatives to support the NHS in the planning and construction of facilities.

NHS: Buildings

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data are collected in the Estates Returns Information Collection on the NHS estate.

Ben Bradshaw: The data items collected by the Estates Returns Information Collection system for the latest period 2007-08 have been placed in the Library.

NHS: Buildings

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 120 of the 2008 Pre-Budget Report, Cm 7484, what improvements in NHS estate utilisation are taking place; and what contribution he estimates each will make to efficiency savings in the next 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service organisations have devolved responsibility for the efficient utilisation of their assets including the estate. The Department has supported the efficient utilisation of assets by ensuring that NHS organisations disposing of surplus property retain the proceeds for reinvestment. The Department continues to work with the NHS to improve efficiency in all areas.

NHS: Fees and Charges

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who were not eligible for free NHS treatment but who received free NHS services in  (a) Southend Primary Care Trust,  (b) Essex and  (c) England in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the costs of providing such services in each area in each year.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service hospital treatment is only provided free of charge to those people who are ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom or who are exempt from charges under the provisions of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended. Hospitals have a duty to identify those who are not entitled to free treatment, charge them for that treatment and, where possible, to recover the costs of treating them if treatment has had to be provided to them urgently.
	Successive Governments have not required the national health service to provide statistics on the number of overseas visitors seen, treated or charged under the provisions of the charging regulations nor any costs involved. Therefore, it is not possible to provide this information.

Pathology

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made in the reconfiguration of NHS Pathology Services in England; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Lord Carter of Coles, chair of the Independent Review of NHS Pathology Services in England, has delivered to Ministers his report on the second phase of the Review's work. The report is due to be published this month, together with the Department's initial response to the Review's recommendations.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the review of prescription charges and exemptions; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: We have asked the President of the Royal College of Physicians (Professor Ian Gilmore) to carry out a review of prescription charges that will consider how to implement the commitment to exempt patients with long-term conditions from prescription charges. The review is in its initial stages and is due to make its recommendations to ministers in summer 2009. The terms of reference for the review are to:
	consider how to implement the Government's commitment to exempt patients with long-term conditions (LTCs) from prescription charges over the next few years following the exemption for cancer patients, which will be introduced in 2009;
	engage with patients and their representatives, clinicians, the public, health care organisations and other interested groups to ensure the widest range of views contribute to the review's findings;
	consider how to define the range of long-term conditions affecting patients that should be exempted from prescription charges; and
	consider how exemption from charging can be best phased in, with due regard to what is in the best interests of patients, the potential impact on the wider health care system, implications for existing policies on management of long term conditions, implications for public expenditure.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS prescriptions issued in 2007 attracted a charge.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not know the number of prescriptions that have been issued, only the number of prescription items dispensed.
	Prescription information taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Division of the NHS Business Services Authority, indicate that in 2007 a total of 11.4 per cent. of prescription items (90.8 million) dispensed in England attracted a charge. Of these, 7.1 per cent. of prescription items (56.7 million) were charged at the point of dispensing and 4.3 per cent. of prescription items (34.1 million) were attributable to pre-payment certificates.

Public Consultation: Yorkshire and the Humber

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each primary care trust in Yorkshire and the Humber spent on consultations in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally.

Sex: Young People

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of women between the ages of 16 and 21 were known to be sexually active in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: Survey data published by the Office for National Statistics Contraception and Sexual Health 2007-08 Omnibus Survey Report No. 37 found that 80 per cent. of women aged 16-24 reported one or more sexual partners in the last year. The data are not analysed into smaller age bands.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by the NHS on treatment and prevention of genital warts in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: Funding to support sexual health services is not allocated separately to primary care trusts (PCTs) but is contained within the mainstream revenue allocations made to PCTs. It is the responsibility of PCTs to commission the health services they need to meet the health requirements of the local populations they serve. Genital warts can be diagnosed and treated in a variety of settings but currently data are only collected from genito-urinary medicine clinics, so it is therefore not possible to accurately forecast how much PCTs spent on the treatment and prevention of genital warts.

Strokes: Health Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the development of local stroke care networks.

Ann Keen: The National Stroke Strategy mandates the establishment of stroke care networks. All proposed networks originally proposed have now been established and are expected to be fully functional by spring 2009. Details of the networks can be found on the Stroke Improvement programme website.

Vioxx

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Answer of 17 June 2008,  Official Report, column 799, on cardiovascular incidents, what steps his Department  (a) has taken since that Answer and  (b) plans to take to ensure that the manufacturer of Vioxx fulfils its responsibilities to people in the UK who have been affected; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for Care Services, my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, South (Mr. Lewis) met with representatives of Merck Sharpe and Dohme UK Ltd on 10 July 2008 where he highlighted the concerns raised by hon. Members on behalf of their constituents. A representative from Merck and Co., Inc. was also present at that meeting.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received reports of who fired first in recent skirmishes between forces of Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda across their mutual border.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 8 December 2008
	The military situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is comparatively calm for the time being. Fighting between the National Congress for People Defense (CNDP) and DRC government forces was last reported on 17 November, when the two sides clashed around the town of Rwindi in North Kivu province. Since then, the rebel leader Laurent Nkunda has fulfilled commitments to withdraw from positions captured in recent fighting. However, skirmishes have taken place between the CNDP and other militia groups more recently.
	We continue to follow events in eastern DRC closely, and urge all parties to return to processes to achieve a political solution to the issues underlying the violence.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on whether there should be direct negotiations between General Nkunda and President Kabila of Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 8 December 2008
	The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) requires a political solution acceptable to all sides. We strongly support the efforts of former President Obasanjo, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General, to achieve such a solution through mediation between key figures in the region. Peace agreements have been reached between leaders in the region. It is important that these are observed.
	We would welcome dialogue between the DRC government and Laurent Nkunda. However, talks between them should take place within the framework of the Goma Process, which remains an essential element of a lasting peace in the region.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of participation in recent fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo since the signing of a ceasefire of  (a) government troops and  (b) members of the CNDP and other militia.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 8 December 2008
	During recent fighting, UN observers reported that shots had been fired across the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. We understand from the UN's mission in DRC that Congolese forces fired several mortars into Rwanda on 29 October; the Rwandan military responded with fire from three T55 tanks. The incident did not escalate any further.
	We have urged both the Rwandan and DRC governments to pursue political solutions to the problems in eastern DRC to ensure the full implementation of the Nairobi and Goma agreements. Effective co-operation between the two governments is crucial to ending the conflict. The progress they have made towards resolving the issues posed by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militia's continued presence in eastern DRC and towards improving their bilateral relations is welcome.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on alleged abuses by the government of Democratic Republic of Congo of the human rights of members of opposition parties; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 8 December 2008
	Human Rights Watch published a report on 25 November 2008 called 'We Will Crush You, The Restriction of Political Space in the Democratic Republic of Congo'. It accuses Kabila's government of using brutal and repressive tactics to stifle opponents since the first round of presidential elections in July-August 2006.
	We remain concerned about allegations of human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo and we continue to raise these issues with the authorities. We are working with European partners to monitor the treatment of leading detainees and the conduct of proceedings against them, share information on cases and make representations where appropriate.

Diego Garcia: Rendition

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1787W, on rendition: Diego Garcia, whether his Department has carried out a records search for the purposes of determining whether UK territory or airspace had actually been used for the purposes of rendition.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the then Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) on 12 December 2005,  Official Report, column 1652W.
	Since 2005, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has conducted a number of thorough reviews of our files on rendition. Prior to 2008, given that we had firm assurances from the US that they had not and would not use our territory or airspace for rendition without our permission, these reviews focussed on the question of whether requests for rendition had been made. But, given the thoroughness of these reviews, had they revealed any instances where rendition had occurred, we would have informed Parliament.
	However, following the new information received from the US this year that, contrary to previous assurances, there had been two instances of rendition through Diego Garcia in 2002, we conducted a further review of records to compile a list of flights where we had been alerted to concerns regarding rendition and ascertain whether we had any evidence that UK territory may have been used for renditions. This included looking back at the process and findings of the previous reviews. No such information was discovered.

Thailand: Protests

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department took to assist UK citizens caught up in the blockade of Bangkok's two main airports.

Bill Rammell: During the occupation of Bangkok's two main airports by People's Alliance for Democracy protestors, our embassy officials ran a call centre to offer advice to British nationals in Thailand. The call centre also offered to collect details from those worried about getting a flight home and pass those on to airlines as and when emergency flights were being scheduled. Officials were present at Phuket and Chiang Mai airports to provide assistance, and others travelled to U-Tapau military airport once flights began leaving from there. Consular officials helped British nationals obtain urgent medical prescriptions and assisted them in obtaining financial support from family and friends in the UK. Throughout the disruption, embassy officials have been in constant contact with the Thai authorities and have worked closely with the Tourist Authority of Thailand to ensure those British nationals who needed assistance, received it. Officials also toured hotels to communicate with British nationals.
	We have been in close contact with all the airlines encouraging them to uphold their responsibility to their ticket holders. I spoke to the United Arab Emirates ambassador on 28 November about problems British nationals in Bangkok were experiencing with Emirates; our ambassador in Abu Dhabi also made additional contact with the head of Emirates in Dubai. The Secretary of State for Transport spoke to the British Airways chief executive on 3 December. As a result of our interventions some carriers did lay on additional flights from alternative airports in Thailand, and others arranged for their passengers tickets to be valid on other airlines with better capacity.
	With the reopening of Suvarnabhumi International Airport a British embassy helpdesk has been established, and officials have been liaising closely with airlines in order to give British nationals the best chance of getting a seat home as soon as possible.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

10 Downing Street

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the annual turnover of the Downing Street gift shop is.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minster gave to the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) on 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 881W.

Central Office of Information: Advertising

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 1138-44W, on Central Office of Information: advertising, what the  (a) name,  (b) cost and  (c) purpose was of each advertising campaign carried out by the Central Office of Information in each of the last three years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 8 December 2008
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	 Letter from Alan Bishop, dated December 2008:
	Re: Advertising Costs
	.
	The information that you have requested has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) name,  (b) cost and  (c) purpose is of each television programme his Department has provided funding for in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) on 25 June 2008,  Official Report, column 400W.
	The Cabinet Office has not paid for any television programmes. However, the Office of the Third Sector is providing a grant of 2.4 million to the Media Trust between 2008-11. This funding is to support the Community Channel, a digital television channel which promotes volunteering and the work of charities. This funding also supports the Community Newswire, which enables charities to promote their work to journalists. The Media Trust is an independent charity overseen by a board of trustees which sets the channels' programming priorities. Details of the Community Channel's programmes are available on their website at:
	www.communitychannel.org

Departmental Consultants

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department has spent on external consultants in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Data Protection

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 12 November 2008,  Official Report, column 756W, on security breaches (data loss), what the evidential basis is for the statement by the Parliamentary Secretary relating to the amount of progress in making data safe in government; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: Data protection is a top priority for Government Departments and there are a number of key areas in which we have made improvements:
	Vital openness and transparency achieved through the publishing of data breaches in annual resource accountsthere is currently no equivalent requirement to report in the private sector
	Enhanced departmental roles increasing accountability with senior information risk owners at board level owning risk and reporting to accounting officers on data security measures
	Huge training efforts90,000 staff trained at HMRC alone, NHS training package available to 1 million plus staff, new civil service wide e-learning package delivering data security training on an unprecedented scale
	Increased technical precautions to minimise the likelihood of data lossesencryption programmes in all Government Departments with over 30,000 laptops encrypted in MOD alone.
	Updated and improved guidance being issued on all aspects of departmental security including physical, personnel and information security.

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office published its Single Equality Scheme in February 2008, which included a report on progress in meeting its disability equality duties. Copies are available in the in the Libraries of the House and on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/cabinetoffice/corp/assets/publications/corporate/equality/equality_scheme.doc

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1131W, and to the written ministerial statement of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 99-102WS, on special advisers, whether the aggregate cost of special advisers in the statement includes the cost of  (a) National Insurance contributions for employers,  (b) employee pension contributions and (c) expenses.

Kevin Brennan: National insurance employer contributions incurred on behalf of special advisers and expenses are not included in the pay bill costs provided by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 99-102WS.
	Employee pension contributions form part of salary and are included in the costs provided by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 99-102WS.

Departmental Travel

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 20W, on departmental travel, whether the Cabinet Office Mid-Year Report will be published before the end of 2008.

Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office's mid-year report, the autumn performance report 2008 (cm 7517), was laid before Parliament on 8 December 2008.
	The autumn performance report 2008 is also available from the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports/psa/autumn_delivery.aspx

Foreign Investment in UK

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) inflow and  (b) outflow of foreign capital into the UK has been in each month since January 2004.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 9 December 2008
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for the (a) inflow and (b) outflow of foreign capital into the UK in each month since January 2004.(241564)
	The Office for National Statistics does not collect data for total inflows and total outflows of foreign capital into the UK. Data is compiled for net inflows only, that is total inflows of foreign capital less total outflows of foreign capital. This data is not available on a monthly basis but. is compiled on a quarterly basis. Therefore data for net inflows of foreign capital into the UK are attached for every quarter since the first quarter of 2004.
	This data is published in the quarterly Balance of Payments First Release.
	
		
			  Financial AccountInvestment in the UK by non-residents: Net inflows (not seasonally adjusted) 
			   million 
			   Direct investment in the UK  Portfolio investment in the UK   
			   Equity capital  Reinvested earnings  Other capital transactions  Total direct investment in the UK  Equity securities  Debt securities  Total portfolio investment the UK  Other investment the UK  Total investment in the UK by non-residents 
			   HJYR  CYFV  HMAD  HJYU  XBLW  XBLX  HHZF  XBMN  HBNS 
			 2004 23,716 8,558 -1,066 31,208 -6,938 95,487 88,549 425,577 545,334 
			 2005 82,949 10,501 4,395 97,845 9,482 123,236 132,718 487,400 717,963 
			 2006 55,393 22,195 7,301 84,889 -10,122 164,078 153,956 382,315 621,160 
			 2007 87,809 24,288 -13,947 98,150 17,327 192,464 209,791 732,367 1,040,308 
			   
			  2004  
			 Q1 1,382 2,759 1,131 5,272 -132 53,300 53,168 219,446 277,886 
			 Q2 7,127 1,776 -2,865 6,038 -2,877 16,102 13,225 65,824 85,087 
			 Q3 3,676 3,319 365 7,360 -1,382 17,047 15,665 84,968 107,993 
			 Q4 11,531 704 303 12,538 -2,547 9,038 6,491 55,339 74,368 
			   
			  2005  
			 Q1 8,445 2,632 4,765 15,842 11,379 47,322 58,701 199,555 274,098 
			 Q2 2,786 3,141 8,598 14,525 3,608 25,308 28,916 131,625 175,066 
			 Q3 64,961 3,497 2,252 70,710 -14,199 19,047 4,848 93,865 169,423 
			 Q4 6,757 1,231 -11,220 -3,232 8,694 31,559 40,253 62,355 99,376 
			   
			  2006  
			 Q1 25,916 4,857 3,480 34,253 -10,555 38,602 28,047 290,389 352,689 
			 Q2 13,870 6,829 2,426 23,125 -7,215 29,914 22,699 -39,954 5,870 
			 Q3 12,481 8,098 -749 19,830 12,161 49,318 61,479 55,629 136,938 
			 Q4 3,126 2,411 2,144 7,681 -4,513 46,244 41,731 76,251 125,663 
			   
			  2007  
			 Q1 12,843 7,437 -6,624 13,656 -294 34,936 34,642 410,748 459,046 
			 Q2 25,264 5,761 -7,104 23,921 3,653 88,388 92,041 89,289 205,251 
			 Q3 16,198 5,636 -8,439 13,395 -8,279 44,149 35,870 117,156 166,421 
			 Q4 33,504 5,454 8,220 47,178 22,247 24,991 47,238 115,174 209,590 
			   
			  2008  
			 Q1 23,784 5,730 -5,415 24,099 6,772 45,770 52,542 218,731 295,372 
			 Q2 11,405 5,606 -2,766 14,245 14,557 83,270 97,827 -433,671 -321,599

Government Departments: Standards

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans the Cabinet Secretary has for cross-departmental capability reviews.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Secretary intends to complete the programme of re-reviewing all major Government Departments two years on from their original Capability Review.

Utilities

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average quarterly household expenditure on electricity, gas and other fuels was in each region in England in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: holding  answer  8 December 2008
	 The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Joe Grice, dated 8 December 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the average quarterly household expenditure on electricity, gas and other fuels was in each region in England in each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (240880)
	The tables below provide estimates of average expenditure on electricity, gas and other fuels for each region in England. Figures have been provided both in current prices, and adjusted for general inflation (shown here in 2007 prices). The figures are based on those published each year in Family Spending, the annual report on the Expenditure and Food Survey:
	http://www.statisties.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=361
	Regional estimates published in Family Spending are based on regional sub-samples of the Expenditure and Food Survey. Due to the smaller size of these sub-samples, regional estimates are generally based on data collected over three years. However in some years, changes to the survey meant that this was not possible, and regional estimates were produced using data collected over one or two years.
	
		
			  Average household expenditure on electricity, gas and other fuels in 2007 prices: by region, England 
			   per quarter, 2007 prices( 4) 
			   1997-98( 1)  1998-99( 2)  1999-2000( 2)  2000-01( 2)  2001-02( 1)  2002-03( 3)  2003-04( 2)  2004-05( 2)  2005-06( 2)  2006( 1)  2007( 3) 
			 North East 215.20 204.00 193.50 177.30 184.60 177.60 168.20 164.30 164.70 195.70 194.30 
			 North West 221.60 208.90 200.00 187.10 176.80 175.40 171.50 170.20 175.70 212.30 208.40 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 207.40 203.40 189.70 180.90 167.30 166.00 163.90 168.40 175.60 211.20 210.40 
			 East Midlands 208.30 202.40 191.80 182.40 178.90 181.40 174.40 171.20 170.80 202.20 198.40 
			 West Midlands 220.90 211.40 199.70 187.60 180.30 172.00 169.00 167.00 176.50 215.70 216.80 
			 
			 East of England 206.20 197.70 182.90 171.70 182.10 176.40 173.50 172.00 179.50 221.00 218.60 
			 London 191.10 191.30 176.30 171.60 161.60 159.00 159.60 160.30 167.50 196.00 197.90 
			 South East 204.50 196.70 181.70 177.40 187.70 176.80 175.10 169.90 175.50 216.40 213.90 
			 South West 208.40 196.70 180.10 176.70 179.60 182.50 176.60 173.50 176.40 209.50 214.70 
			 
			 England 208.60 200.70 187.50 179.00 177.30 173.50 170.20 168.50 174.10 209.90 209.10 
			 (1) Figures based on data from one year only. (2) Figures based on an average from three years of data up to and including the reference year. (3) Figures based on an average from two years of data up to and including the reference year. (4) Figures have been adjusted to 2007 prices using the RPI all items index. 
		
	
	
		
			  Average household expenditure on electricity, gas and other fuels in current prices: by region, England 
			   per quarter 
			   1997 - 98( 1)  1998 - 99( 2)  1999 - 2000( 2)  2000 - 01( 2)  2001 - 02( 1)  2002 - 03( 3)  2003 - 04( 2)  2004 - 05( 2)  2005 - 06( 2)  2006( 1)  2007( 3) 
			 North East 165.50 161.80 155.80 147.00 155.40 152.50 148.50 149.70 154.00 187.70 194.30 
			 North West 170.40 165.70 161.00 155.10 148.90 150.60 151.40 155.10 164.30 203.60 208.40 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 159.50 161.30 152.70 150.00 140.90 142.60 144.80 153.40 164.10 202.60 210.40 
			 East Midlands 160.20 160.50 154.40 151.20 150.60 155.80 154.00 156.00 159.70 193.90 198.40 
			 West Midlands 169.90 167.60 160.70 155.50 151.80 147.70 149.20 152.10 165.00 206.90 216.80 
			 
			 East of England 158.50 156.80 147.30 142.40 153.30 151.50 153.20 156.70 167.80 212.00 218.60 
			 London 147.00 151.70 141.90 142.30 136.10 136.60 140.90 146.10 156.60 187.90 197.90 
			 South East 157.20 156.00 146.30 147.10 158.00 151.90 154.60 154.80 164.10 207.50 213.90 
			 South West 160.20 155.90 145.00 146.50 151.20 156.80 155.90 158.00 165.00 200.90 214.70 
			 
			 England 160.40 159.20 150.90 148.40 149.30 149.00 150.30 153.50 162.70 201.30 209.10 
			 (1) Figures based on data from one year only. (2) Figures based on an average from three years of data up to and including the reference year. (3) Figures based on an average from two years of data up to and including the reference year.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of academy schools on educational attainment in areas of relative  (a) wealth and  (b) deprivation.

Jim Knight: Most academy pupilsalmost 70 per cent. (based on the income deprivation affecting children index)come from deprived areas, but we have made no separate assessment of their performance compared to pupils from other areas. Overall, however, the evidence shows that academies are improving educational attainment compared with their predecessor schools and at a much faster rate than the national average. The fifth annual independent evaluation of academies by PricewaterhouseCoopers concludes that
	Academies are meeting the needs of a wide range of pupils.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities are scheduled to be included in waves 7 to 15 of the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We have not yet identified which local authorities and projects will be in waves 7 to 15 of the Building Schools for the Future programme. The deadline for authorities to submit revised expressions of interest was the end of November 2008.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1001-2W, what the  (a) expected completion date and  (b) estimated cost of each project was at its outset.

Jim Knight: As stated in my previous answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1001-02W, the Department does not currently hold a comprehensive list of IT expenditure at every level of detail sponsored by the Department or its delivery partners. To research this information further could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on bonuses by each of his Department's non-departmental public bodies in the last year for which data are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1841W.

Departmental Pensions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the net present value is of current  (a) departmental employees and  (b) teachers' pensions.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) is a multi-employer occupational pension scheme for civil servants employed by Government Departments, including the Department for Children, Schools and Families, as well as some other public bodies. The liabilities for the PCSPS are contained in the Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation Resource Accounts, which are laid before Parliament each year. Figures for the liabilities relating to individual employers are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The value of the teachers' pension scheme is available in the latest published Resource Accounts (2006-07).

Departmental Public Expenditure

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on  (a) entertainment,  (b) advertising and promotion and  (c) public relations consultancy in 2007-08.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Expenditure on entertainment by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in 2007-08 has been provided previously, please refer to the answer given on 17 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1583W.
	Promotional campaigns, including those using advertising, are funded from the Department's central Advertising and Publicity Budget and from individual programme budgets held by policy directorates. It is therefore not possible to establish a definitive figure for all advertising and promotion, except at disproportionate cost.
	Advertising is part of a full integrated promotional campaign. We are able to separate the Department's spend on campaign advertising, as this is centrally placed through the Central Office of Information, in 2007/08 expenditure by the Department on such advertising was 4,588,000.
	Public relations agencies are employed for specific communications tasks, most commonly working alongside our press office to provide campaign support in local, regional and specialist media. The Department's expenditure on public relations in 2007-08 was 2,333,000.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils studying for  (a) further mathematics,  (b) physics,  (c) chemistry and  (d) mathematics A-level have been in receipt of education maintenance allowance in each year since its introduction; and what the equivalent number was in the year before its introduction.

Jim Knight: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the operation of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) scheme. The LSC does not collect information about the A-level subjects studied by EMA recipients.
	EMA was rolled out nationally in England from September 2004. The A-level entry time series from the 2002/03 academic year onwards can be found at
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000769/index.shtml

GCSE

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of  (a) pupils entitled to free school meals,  (b) pupils not entitled to free school meals and  (c) all pupils gained (i) no GCSEs and (ii) fewer than five A* to G grades including English and mathematics at GCSE in each year since 1999.

Jim Knight: The requested information is given in the following tables, for years going back to 2003. Data prior to 2002 are not available, due to information on free school meal eligibility not being collected. The 2008 data are expected to be published in December.
	
		
			  Pupils achieving fewer than five or more A*-G including English and maths 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   FSM  Non-FSM  All pupils  FSM  Non-FSM  All pupils 
			 2007 18,019 45,174 63,193 23.5 8.5 10.5 
			 2006 19,683 47,445 89,727 25.2 9.2 15.1 
			 2005 21,085 47,447 68,532 26.4 9.5 11.8 
			 2004 22,760 51,223 76,722 27.8 10.1 13.0 
			 2003 23,114 50,798 76,620 28.5 10.3 13.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Pupils achieving  no GCSEs 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   FSM  Non-FSM  All pupils  FSM  Non-FSM  All pupils 
			 2007 4,047 9,651 13,698 5.3 1.8 2.3 
			 2006 4,867 11,072 17,132 6.2 2.1 2.9 
			 2005 6,032 12,293 18,325 7.6 2.4 3.2 
			 2004 7,213 15,680 23,939 8.8 3.1 4.1 
			 2003 9,667 19,713 30,213 11.9 4.0 5.2 
		
	
	Please note that the data for 2005-07 are based on pupils at the end of KS4 and years 2003 and 2004 are based on 15-year-old pupils at the start of the academic year.
	Figures relate to pupils in maintained schools only.
	Data for 2002 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

History: Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 16 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1502-3W, on schools: assessments, which mainstream schools did not enter any pupils for A-level history.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information required is given as follows.
	Only schools that were published in the 2007 School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables have been given.
	
		
			  Maintained mainstream schools that did not enter any pupils into GCE A level history in 2006/07 
			   School  Number of 16 to  18-year-olds( 1) 
			 2024104 Haverstock School 255 
			 2024652 Maria Fidelis Roman Catholic Convent School FCJ 141 
			 2044686 The Skinners' Company's School for Girls 152 
			 2084509 Charles Edward Brooke School 88 
			 2035403 Archbishop Tenison's School 36 
			 2106906 The Academy at Peckham 133 
			 2114242 Mulberry School for Girls 356 
			 2124329 Battersea Technology College 62 
			 3036905 The Business Academy Bexley 90 
			 3044006 Wembley High Technology College 180 
			 3045408 John Kelly Boys' Technology College 134 
			 3046905 Capital City Academy 140 
			 3076905 West London Academy 112 
			 3084041 Salisbury School 124 
			 3084043 Highlands School 192 
			 3094034 Woodside High School, a Business and Enterprise Specialist School 68 
			 3094037 Park View Academy 64 
			 3096905 Greig City Academy 114 
			 3124654 Guru Nanak Sikh Voluntary Aided Secondary School 72 
			 3134021 Hounslow Manor School 100 
			 3145403 Coombe Boys' School 93 
			 3206905 Walthamstow Academy 2 
			 3304084 Washwood Heath Technology College 113 
			 3304207 Handsworth Wood Girls' Visual and Performing Arts Specialist College and Sixth Form Centre 51 
			 3304227 Broadway School 143 
			 3304245 Moseley School A Language College 141 
			 3305412 George Dixon International School and Sixth Form Centre 185 
			 3314030 Lyng Hall School 65 
			 3335400 Manor Foundation Business and Sports College 74 
			 3354017 Alumwell Business and Enterprise College 164 
			 3354100 Darlaston Community Science College 114 
			 3364115 Deansfield High School 96 
			 3364131 Parkfield High School 108 
			 3364139 Moreton Community School 110 
			 3404609 All Saints Catholic High School 152 
			 3414419 Shorefields School 53 
			 3414420 Fazakerley High School 71 
			 3414423 Croxteth Community Comprehensive School 91 
			 3414425 Broadgreen High School a Technology College 164 
			 3414788 St. Benedict's College 114 
			 3414796 Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College 168 
			 3416906 North Liverpool Academy 156 
			 3524257 Whalley Range 11-18 High School and Business and Enterprise College 297 
			 3714607 Rossington All Saints Church of England (VA) SchoolA Sports College 145 
			 3804034 Rhodesway School 206 
			 3804066 Greenhead High School 182 
			 3804100 Carlton Bolling College 312 
			 3804613 Feversham College 96 
			 3804616 Immanuel College 122 
			 3814036 The Ridings School 27 
			 3824048 Batley Girls' High School 182 
			 3834031 City of Leeds School 52 
			 3834044 Primrose High School 99 
			 3834045 John Smeaton Community High School 84 
			 3834054 Intake High School Arts College 99 
			 3834058 West Leeds High School 90 
			 3834059 Parklands Girls' High School 73 
			 3834851 South Leeds High School 93 
			 3904605 Cardinal Hume Catholic School 91 
			 3914500 All Saints College 49 
			 8004108 Culverhay School 62 
			 8014032 Brislington Enterprise College 304 
			 8016905 The City Academy Bristol 12 
			 8114063 Howden School and Technology College 93 
			 8124086 The Lindsey School and Community Arts College 55 
			 8154203 Ripon College 76 
			 8254001 Highcrest Community School 124 
			 8254036 Princes Risborough 73 
			 8254072 Cressex Community School 43 
			 8254074 Burnham Upper School 134 
			 8254094 The Wye Valley School 156 
			 8254095 Amersham School 95 
			 8264085 Sir Frank Markham Community School 121 
			 8315403 Merrill College 62 
			 8364111 Rossmore Community College 32 
			 8364112 Ashdown Technology College 135 
			 8374189 Oakmead College of Technology 53 
			 8564005 New College Leicester 37 
			 8604066 Norton Canes High School 73 
			 8604084 Maryhill High School 39 
			 8674030 The Brakenhale School 72 
			 8714082 Baylis Court School 67 
			 8715409 The Westgate School 72 
			 8724041 Ryeish Green School 90 
			 8754161 Ellesmere Port Specialist School of Performing Arts 81 
			 8814735 St. Peters College 81 
			 8825414 The Eastwood School (11-18) 88 
			 8864026 Dartford Technology College 63 
			 8864031 Swanley Technology College 85 
			 8864059 Swadelands School 64 
			 8864065 Holmesdale Technology College 133 
			 8864114 Archers Court Maths and Computing College 76 
			 8864204 Wilmington Enterprise College 52 
			 8864207 Castle Community College 91 
			 8864219 Hextable School 111 
			 8864242 The Abbey School 93 
			 8865409 Wrotham School 89 
			 8865410 Aylesford SchoolSports College 109 
			 8865455 The Hayesbrook School 79 
			 8865456 Northfleet Technology College  
			 8865466 Brockhill Park Performing Arts College 159 
			 8884408 Fleetwood Sports College 2 
			 8914008 Kirkby College 52 
			 8925402 Greenwood Dale School 171 
			 8926905 Djanogly City Academy Nottingham 226 
			 9094301 Morton School 33 
			 9094630 Newman Catholic School 77 
			 9095408 North Cumbria Technology College 31 
			 9164039 Vale of Berkeley College 7 
			 9164040 Brockworth Enterprise School 87 
			 9194117 The Sele School 61 
			 9194154 Onslow St. Audrey's School 54 
			 9195427 Hockerill Anglo-European College 162 
			 9254036 The City of Lincoln Community College 112 
			 9254609 St. Clements College 103 
			 9255414 Joseph Ruston Technology College 11 
			 9255423 The Giles School 136 
			 9264048 Charles Burrell High School 77 
			 9264067 Heartsease High School 43 
			 9264068 Earlham High School 86 
			 9265403 Costessey High School 130 
			 9284103 Unity College 78 
			 9314074 Peers School 47 
			 9314145 St. Gregory the Great VA Catholic Secondary School 131 
			 9365405 Epsom and Ewell High School 123 
			 (1) Age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August 2006.

National Curriculum Tests

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many national curriculum test papers from 2008 schools have asked to be re-marked;
	(2)  when he expects all national curriculum test papers from 2008 to have been re-marked and returned to schools.

Jim Knight: The National Assessment Agency (NAA) has in place arrangements for marking to be reviewed where a school believes that it is inaccurate to the extent that a pupil has received an incorrect national curriculum level. The NAA is currently managing the final phase of the reviews process and expects that all results will be issued to schools in the coming weeks. The great majority of schools have already received results for their review applications. Once the final phase of review marking is complete, NAA will be able to provide data on the volume of reviews for the 2008 national curriculum test cycle.

National Curriculum Tests

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the annual cost of pre-tests for  (a) key stage 1,  (b) key stage 2 and  (c) key stage 3; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The National Assessment Agency (NAA) is responsible for administering national curriculum tests. NAA advise that the annual costs of pre-tests are as follows:
	KS1: The last pre-test was conducted in 2005 and NAA does not have separate costs for this.
	KS2: An estimate of pre-testing costs for 2008 per subject are as follows:
	Pre-test 1 (recruitment, administration and courier costs): 41,000
	Pre-test 2 (recruitment, administration and courier costs): 40,000
	KS3: An estimate of pre-testing costs for 2008 per subject are as follows:
	Pre-test 1 (recruitment, administration and courier costs): 107,000
	Pre-test 2 (recruitment, administration and courier costs): 125,000

Pre-school Education: Class Sizes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many infants were in classes of over 30 pupils in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The number of infants in classes of over 30 pupils in each year since 1997 can be found in the Pupil Characteristics and Class Sizes in Maintained Schools in England Statistical First Releases between 2000 and 2008 and the Class Sizes in Maintained Schools in England Statistical First Release between 1997 and 1999. These can be viewed online at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000147/sfr15-2000.pdf
	(Table 9 for figures between 1997 to 1999).
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000457/08-2004v2.pdf
	(Table 9 for figures between 2000 and 2003).
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/SFR_09_2008_National_Tables.xls
	(Table 11 for figures between 2004 and 2008).

Private Education: Specialised Diplomas

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which independent schools are offering diplomas, broken down by diploma type.

Jim Knight: There are currently no independent schools offering diplomas in 2008/09. However, Wellington college has confirmed its intention to offer the diploma in engineering as early as September 2009.

Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Fresh Start schools have opened in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The number of Fresh Start schools which opened each year is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of Fresh Start schools 
			 2001 4 
			 2002 3 
			 2003 5 
			 2004 6 
			 2005 5 
			 2006 3 
			 2007 7 
			 2008 1 
		
	
	The majority of Fresh Start schools have made real progress towards raising standards of attainment. At secondary level we expect other programmes, including National Challenge, to be the main focus for secondary school transformation in future.

Schools: Disabled

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools in England and Wales have produced a disability equality scheme since the entry into force of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1159W.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recurrent additional capital funding specialist schools receive to support their specialism; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Specialist schools receive a one-off capital grant of 100,000 on their initial designation, which is conditional on them raising 50,000 in sponsorship. The capital grant must be used, together with the sponsorship raised, to enhance the school's facilities for teaching the specialist subject(s). Specialist schools may also apply for a one-off capital grant of 25,000 when they redesignate, if they can match this with 25,000 in sponsorship, to enable them to renew their specialist facilities and improve and sustain relationships with business and employer partners.

Specialised Diplomas: Costs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the estimated cost is of providing  (a) diplomas and  (b) academic diplomas in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10, (iii) 2010-11 and (iv) 2011-12.

Jim Knight: Five diploma lines in engineering, construction and the built environment, information technology, creative and media and society, health and development have started being taught from September 2008; five lines (business, administration and finance, environmental and land-based studies, hair and beauty studies, hospitality, and manufacturing and product design) will start being taught from September 2009; four lines (public services, sport and active leisure, retail business, and travel and tourism) will start being taught from September 2010; and three lines (humanities, science and languages) will start being taught from September 2011.
	The estimated funding levels for diplomas from 2008-09 to 2010-11 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			million 
			 2008-09 117.6 
			 2009-10 113.1 
			 2010-11 78.1 
		
	
	The diploma spending plans for 2011-12 will be considered as part of the next Spending Review and funding levels will be determined at that stage.

Specialised Diplomas: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what additional funding allocations will be made for the delivery of the new diplomas in each year from 2008-09 to 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The estimated funding levels for diplomas from 2008-09 to 2010-11 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			million 
			 2008-09 117.6 
			 2009-10 113.1 
			 2010-11 78.1 
		
	
	These costs include teacher training, additional funding to local areas and per student, and preparation and delivery costs such as transport.
	The diploma spending plans for 2011-12 will be considered as part of the next spending review and funding levels will be determined at that stage.

Specialist Schools: Languages

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the Answer of 10 November 2008,  Official Report, column 900W, on specialist schools: languages, which specialist schools have chosen languages as one of their specialisms.

Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in both the Libraries.

Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many qualified teachers under the age of 60 are  (a) not currently teaching and  (b) not currently teaching in maintained schools.

Jim Knight: The information requested is shown in the following statistical publication: School Workforce in England (including pupil:teacher ratios and pupil:adult ratios), January 2007 (Revised)
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000743/Addition_I_DOU.xls
	(Table I1 and I2 give figures for March 2006).
	Figures for 2007 will be published on 11 December 2008 and may be viewed online after 9.30 am that day:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000813/index.shtml.

Teachers: Pay

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how much was spent on wages for  (a) teachers,  (b) teaching assistants and  (c) support staff as a proportion of GDP in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2008;
	(2)  how much was spent on wages for  (a) teachers,  (b) teaching assistants and  (c) support staff in (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (ii) Vale of York constituency in (A) 1997 and (B) 2008.

Jim Knight: The available information is contained within the following tables:
	
		
			  Staffing expenditure by local authority maintained schools in England as a percentage of GDP for 1996-97 and 2007-08 
			   Staffing (pay) expenditure by local authority maintained schools in England 
			   1996-97  2007-08 (estimated) 
			 As a percentage of GDPAs a percentage of GDP 
			 Teaching staff 9,725,742,000 1.23 18,429,079,000 1.30 
			 Education support staff 1,213,867,000 0.15 4,246,602,000 0.30 
			 Other school staff 1,754,316,000 0.22 3,022,919,000 0.21 
		
	
	
		
			  Staffing expenditure by local authority maintained schools in Yorkshire and Humberside for 1996-97 and 2007-08 
			   1996-97  2007-08 
			   Teaching staff  Education  support staff  Other  support staff  Teaching staff  Education  support staff  Other support staff 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 1,094,692,000 136,602,000 177,427,000 1,840,920,000 453,859,000 286,883,000 
			 Barnsley 44,590,000 5,196,000 6,819,000 75,231,000 18,618,000 11,840,000 
			 Bradford 115,239,000 33,686,000 11,536,000 207,242,000 58,551,000 32,955,000 
			 Calderdale 30,630,000 4,780,000 6,474,000 83,093,000 18,286,000 14,111,000 
			 City of Kingston upon Hull 58,226,000 6,773,000 11,928,000 85,705,000 28,501,000 15,961,000 
			 Doncaster 69,012,000 12,415,000 8,241,000 111,336,000 24,867,000 17,928,000 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 65,170,000 7,764,000 9,834,000 111,236,000 23,102,000 20,545,000 
			 Kirklees 86,091,000 13,195,000 8,995,000 151,600,000 38,052,000 20,445,000 
			 Leeds 158,403,000 6,625,000 39,893,000 247,972,000 64,563,000 40,054,000 
			 North East Lincolnshire 38,299,000 4,679,000 6,311,000 52,803,000 14,925,000 11,230,000 
			 North Lincolnshire 35,543,000 3,555,000 7,584,000 55,700,000 14,056,000 8,495,000 
			 North Yorkshire 124,708,000 9,917,000 13,607,000 216,073,000 40,361,000 28,108,000 
			 Rotherham 64,616,000 6,379,000 8,312,000 108,298,000 28,890,000 14,114,000 
			 Sheffield 99,886,000 14,828,000 16,910,000 165,695,000 42,402,000 28,910,000 
			 Wakefield 70,542,000 3,805,000 16,133,000 113,163,000 27,019,000 15,824,000 
			 York 33,737,000 3,005,000 4,850,000 55,776,000 11,666,000 6,362,000 
			  Notes: 1. Teaching Staff includes teaching staff, supply teaching staff and agency supply teachers. 2. Other School Staff includes premises staff, admin staff, catering staff and other staff. 3. GDP cash data sourced from ONS data for money GDP. 4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000. 5. The 1996-97 data taken from the R01 which was collected from CLG (formerly ODPM). The 2007-08 data taken from Section 52 Outturn statements. 6. Cumbria LA has yet to make a 2007-08 Section 52 Outturn Submission and consequently the England total for 2007-08 is estimated. 7. Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 4 December 2008.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CDC

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department takes to ensure that investments abroad through  (a) CDC Group and  (b) other bodies do not engage with offshore tax regimes that are designated as harmful by the EU Code of Conduct.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has set an Investment Policy for CDCrecently renewed in November 2008which dictates where and in what the company may invest. In accordance with advice from Her Majesty's Treasury, the policy requires that, when CDC invests in intermediary companies for fiscal, regulatory or other reasons, it should seek to avoid those jurisdictions listed as unco-operative tax havens by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or tax regimes listed as harmful under the European Union Code of Conduct for Business Taxation.
	DFID does not make investments abroad through any other bodies.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what records his Department maintains of its expenditure on  (a) official hospitality and  (b) alcohol for official hospitality.

Douglas Alexander: Hospitality expenditure is processed through the Department for International Development's (DFID) financial systems, recording budget authoriser, date, accounting period, department and identifying costs against the chart of accounts.
	Beverage costs (including alcohol) are not accounted for as separate items.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties.

Michael Foster: The Secretary of State last used a train in the course of his official duties on 28 November 2008.

Departmental Research

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's estimated change in expenditure on departmental research will be over the next  (a) year,  (b) two years and  (c) five years; and what areas of research will be targeted.

Michael Foster: The forecasted expenditure on centrally managed research is 134 million this financial year (2008-09) rising to 181 million next year (2009-10) and 220 million in 2010-11 through to 2013-14.
	The areas of focus for the Department for International Development's (DFID) research is set out in the DFID Research Strategy 2008-13 published in April this year. The six theme areas are health, sustainable agriculture, growth, climate change, governance in challenging environments and future challenges and opportunities.
	A link to the DFID Research Strategy is as follows:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/Research-Strategy-08.pdf

Departmental Research

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department takes to ensure that relevant research informs its policy making.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) works closely with research programmes and draws on appropriate evidence and knowledge as it becomes available. DFID has recently re-organised the management of research so that research teams work directly with policy teams. There will also be a much enlarged policy and research communication team, which will include a new team on research uptake. The mandate of this team is to ensure that processes are in place that enhance access to and use of research. This includes:
	(i) Knowledge Brokers whose mandate is to sign-post policy advisers with relevant research information;
	(ii) A new synthesis function, to systematically review relevant research in a defined policy area;
	(iii) Management of a range of research communication programmes that make research more accessible (for example, through policy briefs, short research summaries, better reporting of research findings in the media); and
	(iv) Introduction of Senior Research Fellows who will provide scientific leadership and enhance the relevance of research in policy and practice.
	Further information on DFID research is available through the central portal at:
	http://www.research4development.info/

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will reply to the letter to him of 3 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. S Choudhry.

Michael Foster: A reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton has been issued.

Overseas Aid

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his departmental budget  (a) bilateral and  (b) unilateral aid will contribute over the next (i) year, (ii) two years and (iii) five years.

Douglas Alexander: Full details of the Department for International Development's (DFID) planned programme allocation for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 are set out in table 4 of annex 2 of the 2008 DFID annual report, Development: Making it Happen. Summary totals are reproduced in the following table.
	
		
			2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Country/regional programme Allocation  ( million) 2,304 2,587 2,887 
			  As percentage of total programme 43 41 39 
			  
			 International Divisions' programme Allocation  ( million) 2,614 3,120 3,595 
			  As percentage of total programme 48 49 49 
			  
			 Policy and Research Division programme Allocation  ( million) 489 641 837 
			  As percentage of total programme 9 10 11 
		
	
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/annual-report-08.asp

Zimbabwe: Cholera

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what changes he plans to make to his Department's development assistance to Zimbabwe in response to the cholera outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: We are responding to the cholera outbreak and wider crisis in the health service in Zimbabwe with a 10 million package of assistance. This is part of an overall aid programme this financial year worth 47 million, of which 9 million has been given for food aid. Since the beginning of the financial year, our total programme in Zimbabwe has been increased by nearly 20 per cent., from a baseline budget of 40 million, making it the largest ever British aid programme to Zimbabwe.
	In addition to our emergency response, we continue to give life saving support to people affected by HIV and AIDS, and are helping thousands of small farmers to increase their food production through the supply of seeds and fertilizer and the introduction of improved farming methods. None of our aid goes through government, but is all channelled through the United Nations (UN) and non-governmental organisation (NGOs).

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution the Government is making in terms of  (a) resources and  (b) personnel to the World Health Organisation's efforts to respond to the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) is providing a 10 million package of support to respond to the cholera outbreak and the collapse of health services in Zimbabwe. The cholera has killed hundreds of people and hospitalised several thousands more.
	As part of this package we are strengthening the capacity of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to strengthen its capacity to co-ordinate the cholera response, and ensure timely surveillance and effective health information systems to track and respond to new cholera cases.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the 3 million in aid for Zimbabwe he announced on 26 November is to be spent; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The collapse of the water and sanitation system in Zimbabwe has resulted in the worst cholera epidemic in the country's history and has already led to thousands of cases and several hundred deaths. Fatality rates are high because of the collapse of the health system.
	The additional 3 million funding will be disbursed through the United Nations (UN) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The Department for International Development's funding will help provide life-saving health services and safe drinking water in the areas worst hit, better co-ordination, surveillance, and hygiene education. These additional funds will also help prevent and respond to other epidemics should they occur in the coming months.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of his Department's aid to Zimbabwe in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09 was used, or is intended to be used, for water and sanitation projects.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided both emergency and longer-term support for water, sanitation and hygiene in Zimbabwe over the past three years. This has been mainly through direct contributions to UNICEF for emergency disease preparedness programmes (including cholera) and also through the DFID Protracted Relief Programme (PRP) which seeks to provide longer-term sustainable solutions to supplying potable water. In 2007-08 a total of 700,000 was channelled through NGO partners under the PRP and a contribution of 1 million was made through UNICEF for disease preparedness. This year (2008-09) 1.9 million was channelled through NGOs for a strengthened response to access to clean water and participatory health and hygiene education.

TREASURY

Climate Change

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of its capacity to adapt to climate change; and what plans he has to publish a climate change adaptation strategy.

Angela Eagle: The cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme increases Government's capacity to adapt by ensuring a coordinated approach across all Departments and the public sector. This includes implementation of the adaptation aspects of the Climate Change Act, such as development of the national climate risk assessment. Information about the programme can be found at
	www.defra.gov/adaptation.
	The Treasury is working with other Departments to enhance the Government's capacity to adapt by, for example, reviewing its appraisal guidance (the Green Book) to ensure that policy and investment decisions incorporate adaptation.

Debt

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the collectable balance of outstanding debt was on  (a) 30 April 2007 and  (b) 31 October 2008.

Ian Pearson: HM Revenue and Customs calculates its debt balance as at 31 March each year and includes the relevant figures in the Trust Statement which form part of it's published accounts.
	The accounts for 2007-08 (HC 674) which include the debt balances as at 31 March 2007 and 31 March 2008 were published on 14 July 2008. Copies of the accounts are available on the HMRC website at:
	www.hmrc.govuk/about/reports.htm

Debt

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in workforce levels on collection of outstanding debts in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008.

Ian Pearson: HM Revenue and Customs has no evidence of a direct correlation between recent changes in its debt management work force levels and the collection of outstanding debt.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 336-37W, on IP addresses, which Departments use the Government Secure Intranet; and for what purposes.

Angela Eagle: The GSi forms part of Critical National Infrastructure, and as such, detailed customer information is not made publicly available.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what records his Department maintains of its expenditure on  (a) official hospitality and  (b) alcohol for official hospitality.

Angela Eagle: The Department maintains a record of total spending on official hospitality in its general ledger. For the recording of alcohol spending I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the former Financial Secretary to the Treasury, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey) on 20 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1855W. All expenditure, including that on hospitality, has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Economic and Monetary Union

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish the recent assessment of the UK's performance against the five economic tests for joining the euro.

Ian Pearson: The Chancellor announced in Budget 2008 that,
	the Government do not propose a euro assessment to be initiated at the time of this budget.
	The Treasury will again review the situation at Budget time next year as required by the Chancellor's June 2003 statement.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what changes have been made to alcohol duties in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the level per hectolitre of each type of alcohol duty was in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: All changes to excise duty rates are published at the Budget and where relevant in the pre-Budget report. Historical data on alcohol duty can be found on the UK Trade Information website:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bulletins.

Government Departments: Property

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Government-owned assets have been sold in each year since 1997; and how much each asset was sold for.

Yvette Cooper: The Treasury does not record which Government-owned assets have been sold in each year. The estimate of annual asset disposal proceeds is made at an aggregate Government level. Details of proceeds raised from the disposal of fixed assets are published in the PBR (Ch. B), Budget (Ch. C) and in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Ch. 5).

Government Securities

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 885W, on Government securities, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Government's revised future issuance plans.

Ian Pearson: The Government's revised issuance plans for 2008-09 can be found in Table B20 of the pre-Budget report 2008. The Government will publish their issuance plans for 2009-10 at Budget 2009.

National Income

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes he forecasts in levels of gross domestic product in the South West Region for each of the next three years; and if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the effect of such levels on the South West Regional Spatial Strategy.

Yvette Cooper: The Government do not produce regional GDP data series and do not forecast regional growth rates in the United Kingdom. The ONS produce regional GVA. In terms of GVA at current basic prices, the latest data show that between 2005-06, the south-west grew at 5.4 per cent. compared to the United Kingdom's average growth rate of 5.1 per cent. Data on regional GVA can be accessed publicly via the following link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/gva1207.pdf.
	HM Treasury works with Communities and Local Government, where appropriate, to inform regional spatial strategies for every region.

National Insurance

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be earning 10,000 or less per annum and paying  (a) national insurance contributions and  (b) income tax in 2009-10.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 8 December 2008
	In 2009-10, an estimated 3.7 million people with incomes of 10,000 or less will pay income taxa reduction of 58 per cent. compared to the estimated 8.8 million people in 1997-98. The estimated number of employees and self-employed with earnings of 10,000 or less who will pay national insurance contributions in 2009-10 is around 3.5 million.
	Estimates for earlier years of the number of taxpayers with incomes below 10,000 can be found in Table 2.5 Income tax liabilities, by income range on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income tax/menu.htm

Non-Domestic Rates

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue has been generated by national non-domestic rates in each of the last five years  (a) nationally and  (b) in each region.

Ian Pearson: National outturn figures for total business rates revenues are published in table B13 of each pre- Budget report document, the most recent of which can be found at the address below:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/prebud_pbr08_index.htm.
	A regional breakdown of business rates collected in England is published in table 2.3e of 'Local Government Financial Statistics (England) No 18', which can be found at
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/index.htm.
	This document also (in table 2.3d) sets out the receipts collected each year connected to assets that cannot be allocated by region (e.g. telecommunications networks and oil pipelines).
	Business rates in Scotland and Wales and district rates in Northern Ireland are a devolved matter. Data can be obtained from the relevant devolved administration.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has been generated from the abolition of empty property tax relief since April 2008.

Angela Eagle: Figures for 2008-09 will not be available until after the end of the financial year when local authorities submit their returns to the Communities and Local Government.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the revenue that will be generated from the abolition of empty property tax relief in this tax year.

Angela Eagle: The Government published estimates of the revenue generated from the abolition of empty property relief in the 2007 and 2008 Budget reports.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average value of tax on empty property paid by businesses since April 2008.

Angela Eagle: This information is not available. Business rates are collected by reference to the property not by business.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of empty commercial properties incurring tax demands in each month since April 2007.

Angela Eagle: This information is not collected by central Government.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations his Department has received on the removal of empty property tax relief for commercial premises; what assessment he has made of the representations; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of such representations.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes to empty property tax relief on the involvement of developers in regeneration schemes; what representations he has received from developers on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The Department of Communities and Local Government published an impact assessment of the empty property rate relief reforms in May 2007 alongside the primary legislation.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/ratingempty.
	On 26 February this year, my colleague, the Minister for Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey) laid a further assessment before the House, alongside the regulations.
	http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/em/uksiem_20080386_en.pdf.
	Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of such representations.

Public Expenditure

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent from the public purse on mitigating the effects of the credit crunch in terms of  (a) liquidity provision,  (b) loan guarantees,  (c) bail-outs,  (d) bank recapitalisations,  (e) assistance to industry,  (f) assistance to the mortgage market,  (g) provision for housebuilding,  (h) other public works programmes,  (i) credit crunch-related tax reductions and  (j) other credit crunch-related expenditure; and how much he estimates will be spent on each of these categories in each of the next five years.

Ian Pearson: Box B3 of the 2008 pre-Budget report discusses the impact on the public finances of the financial stability measures taken by the Government. The Office for National Statistics has yet to rule on how some of the transactions associated with these measures should be classified. Table B5 of the 2008 pre-Budget report sets out the fiscal impact of the measures being taken by the Government to support the economy.

Public Sector: Contracts

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice the Office of Government Commerce has provided on the use of break clauses in Government contracts to allow public sector bodies to leave a contract if there is a change of policy as a consequence of a change in the Government.

Angela Eagle: OGC recommends, in its contractual guidance available on the OGC website, that Departments include a general break clause in their contracts for goods or services as a precautionary measure. In the event that there was a change of policy, as a consequence of a change of Government, this clause provides them with a facility to terminate a contract early, after giving the contractor a period of notice.

Revenue and Customs: Personnel

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 680W, on departmental personnel, how many staff within  (a) HM Revenue  Customs and  (b) the Valuation Office Agency are classified as pre-surplus.

Angela Eagle: Pre-surplus status gives staff priority for vacancies in HMRC and in other Government Departments.
	On 5 December the number of staff classified as pre-surplus was as follows:
	 (a) 2,874 HM Revenue and Customs staff, and
	 (b) No Valuation Office Agency staff.

Royal Mint

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the alternative funding models being considered for the Royal Mint include the option of privatisation.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 8 December 2008
	The pre-Budget report (PBR) reference to the asset strand of the Operational Efficiency Programme stated that Gerry Grimstone will be working with Departments, agencies, and the Shareholder Executive to consider the potential for alternative business models, commercialisation, new market opportunities and, where appropriate, alternatives to public ownership for a number of Government assets. With respect to the Royal Mint, the PBR stated that this would entail
	a study to explore the potential benefits of alternative future models for the Royal Mint.

Scottish Consolidated Fund: Fossil Fuel Levy

Adam Ingram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Answer given on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1918W, on the Scottish Consolidated Fund: fossil fuel levy, whether the funds drawn down from the fossil fuel surplus to the UK Consolidated Fund are ring-fenced for the promotion of renewable energy; and how much has been transferred to the Scottish Executive as Barnett consequentials.

Yvette Cooper: The funds drawn down from the fossil fuel surplus to the UK Consolidated Fund are used to fund public spending. Public spending plans are set out in spending reviews and the Scottish Executive receives Barnett consequentials in the normal way, including in respect of the promotion of renewable energy.

Tax Credit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's estimate is of the effect on receipts to the Exchequer of increasing the taper rate on tax credits to  (a) 46 per cent.,  (b) 45 per cent.,  (c) 44 per cent. and  (d) 43 per cent. in 2009; what his estimate is of the number of people who would no longer be eligible for tax credits in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The estimated saving, in 2009-10, of increasing the first taper rate of tax credits to the rates requested, is provided in the following table. No account has been taken of possible behavioural effects.
	
		
			  First taper rate (percentage)  Effect on expenditure  ( million) 
			 46 -1,510 
			 45 -1,320 
			 44 -1,130 
			 43 -930 
		
	
	These changes would not affect the number of claimants eligible for tax credits. However, they would increase the number of claimants with awards reduced to zero.

Tax Credit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to publish a response to the consultation on the tax credit system; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 5.16 of the pre-Budget report November 2008 Cm 7484 which states, following input from stakeholders, the Government's intention to trial making child care payments that more closely reflect child care costs at the time they were incurred.

Tax Credit: Applications

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new claims for tax credits have been made in each of the last 24 months.

Angela Eagle: For information up to and including September 2008 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Wealden (Charles Hendry) on 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 792W. The number of new claims received by household in October and November 2008 was 125,757 and 113,259 respectively.

Tax Credit: Complaints

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints about tax credits have been received by the tax credit office in each of the last 24 months, broken down by mode of communication.

Ian Pearson: For information up to and including September 2008 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 October 2008,  Official Report, column 2367W, and the answer given to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 634W.
	Information for October and November 2008 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  2008  Number of complainants (approximate) 
			 October 4,000 
			 November 3,450

Tax Credit: Overpayments

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average cost of pursuing a court case for tax credit overpayment recovery was in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008 to date.

Ian Pearson: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credit: Telephone Services

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the scripts used by tax credit helpline staff.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury, my right hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Jane Kennedy) on 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 375W.

Tax Credit: Telephone Services

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is the policy of his Department's tax credit helpline to offer a callback to callers upon request.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the former Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Jane Kennedy) on 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1691W.

Tax Credit: Telephone Services

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many calls have been received by the hon. Members' tax credit helpline in each month since it was established. [Official Report, 21 January 2009, Vol. 486, c. 7MC.]

Angela Eagle: For the number of calls answered each month by the Tax Credit Office MP Hotline up to and including May 2007, I refer the hon. Member to the answer that the then Paymaster-General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, South (Dawn Primarolo) gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 419W.
	The information requested for the period June 2007 to November 2008 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of calls to Tax Credit Office MP Hotline 
			  2007  
			 June 1,291 
			 July 1,071 
			 August 976 
			 September 1,146 
			 October 1,404 
			 November 1,233 
			 December 887 
			  2008  
			 January 934 
			 February 1,025 
			 March 775 
			 April 947 
			 May 994 
			 June 1,118 
			 July 1,083 
			 August 826 
			 September 912 
			 October 1,009 
			 November 775

VAT: Hotels

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many VAT-registered  (a) hotels,  (b) guest houses,  (c) bed and breakfast establishments and  (d) licensed premises there were in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: HMRC does not collect information at the requested level of detail.
	Numbers of VAT registered enterprises by broad sector (at the three-digit standard industrial classification level) are published on the website of the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Voluntary Work

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to monitor and provide estimates of the amount of unpaid work undertaken in the economy; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The independent Office for National Statistics has made occasional estimates of the amount of unpaid work in the economy. There is an ongoing programme of work looking into producing these estimates on a regular basis.